Cambridge Dictionary on Tuesday announced the adjective 'parasocial' as its word of the year for 2025.
Parasocial is defined as involving or relating to a connection/bond that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they 'do not' know.
The prevailing marked interest in parasocial relationships that the public shares with celebrities, internet influencers and AI chatbots made Lexicographers pick this interesting adjective as word of the year.
Interestingly, the Cambridge Dictionary cited Taylor Swift’s engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce and Lily Allen’s confessional breakup album 'West End Girl' as parasocial moments of the year.
However, the term 'parasocial' dates back to 1956.
Two University of Chicago sociologists observed television viewers developing parasocial relationships with television personalities, who they viewed as close friends or family, despite having no direct connection with them.
Now, AI chatbots too got a mention as they are becoming confidants, friends and even romantic partners to many netizens.
Simone Schnall, professor of experimental social psychology at the University of Cambridge, said Guardian that parasocial relationships have 'redefined' fandom, celebrity and, with AI, how ordinary people interact online.
“Parasocial trends take on a new dimension as many people treat AI tools like ChatGPT as ‘friends’, offering positive affirmations, or as a proxy for therapy,” she had said.
Notably, the dictionary added and updated several AI-related words in 2025, including “slop”, the term for mass-produced, nonsensical AI images and videos that fill up the social media feed. Another notable word is “memeify”, defined as the act of transforming an image into a meme that spreads quickly across social media.
Over 6,212 new words, phrases and meanings were included in the online dictionary over the past 12 months. Significantly, the dictionary only adds words that are thought to have 'staying power'.
