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This is the Word of the Year, According to Oxford

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Every year, Oxford Languages (formerly known as Oxford Dictionaries) selects their top candidates for the word of the year and holds a vote for which one best represents our current time. This word should “reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year and to have lasting potential as a word of cultural significance.”

For 2023, after more than 30,000 votes were cast, the word of the year is “rizz” — a shortened form of “charisma.” This is a new slang word, which first started getting looked up in 2022, but saw a spike in searches in 2023, particularly after Tom Holland mentioned the term in a June 2023 interview.

Other finalists included “prompt” (made newly popular by AI), “situationship,” and “Swiftie.” The shortlist also included “beige flag,” “de-influencing,” “heat dome,” and “parasocial.”

For a different opinion, you can check out Merriam-Webster’s word of year. While “rizz” was in its runners-up list, it didn’t take the number one spot.

Read more about the word of the year at Oxford Languages.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.

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