For the first time ever, Oxford lets the public choose its Word of the Year
For the first time ever, you can vote for the Oxford Word of the Year.
Oxford Languages made the announcement on Tuesday, Nov. 22, noting how 2022 “has been a year defined by opening back up. However, although we have finally been able to physically reunite and come together again, our world somehow feels more divided than ever.”
"In recognition of this shift, we wanted to open up the final step of our Word of the Year selection process to the true arbiters of language: people around the world... For the first time in its history, the 2022 Word of the Year will be chosen by the public," the statement read.
For the first time in its history, we're opening up Oxford Word of the Year to you.
Are you ready to choose the word you feel reflects 2022 best?
Take a look at the #OxfordWOTY finalists and vote below ⤵️— Oxford University Press (@OxUniPress) November 22, 2022
Lexicographers from the Oxford University Press—the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary—laid out three options for us: metaverse, #IStandWith, and goblin mode. They said that each one is “relevant to the year in a different way.”
The Oxford University Press defines metaverse as “a (hypothetical) virtual reality environment in which users interact with one another’s avatars and surroundings in an immersive way.”
The hashtag #IStandWith has also been chosen this year “to recognize the activism and division that has characterized 2022.” Social media users have used it to express solidarity and stand with someone.
The term goblin mode, meanwhile, refers to “behavior that is unapologetically lazy, slovenly, greedy, and self-indulgent, typically in a way that rejects social norms.”
Last year, “vax” was declared Oxford English Dictionary’s Word of the Year. What do you think will reign supreme this time? Voting for the 2022 WOTY is open until Dec. 2. You can cast your vote here.