For the third consecutive year, Oxford University Press (OUP) is offering word enthusiasts around the globe the chance to select its Word of the Year. The shortlist for this year has been curated by OUP’s experts, reflecting some key moods and discussions that have influenced 2024, and is based on an analysis of its 25-billion-word language database.
Featuring themes from finances to fantasy and highlighting the shifting role of technology in society, the six words and expressions in contention have experienced a significant increase in usage and have gained relevance in 2024.
The shortlist is now open for public voting and includes the following entries:
⦁ Lore (n.): A collection of (alleged) facts, background knowledge, and anecdotes related to a person or topic, considered necessary for thorough understanding or informed discourse on the subject matter.
⦁ Brain rot (n.): The supposed decline in a person’s mental or intellectual capabilities, especially viewed as a consequence of excessive consumption of material (particularly online content) that is trivial or unchallenging. Also refers to something likely to induce such decline.
⦁ Dynamic pricing (n.): The strategy of adjusting the price for a product or service based on fluctuating market conditions; specifically, charging a higher price during periods of increased demand.
⦁ Demure (adj.): In relation to a person: modest or restrained in appearance or behavior. In relation to clothing: not flashy, ostentatious, or overly revealing.
⦁ Slop (n.): Art, writing, or other forms of content created using artificial intelligence and disseminated online in a haphazard or intrusive manner, characterized as low quality, inauthentic, or inaccurate.
⦁ Romantasy (n.): A fiction genre that mixes elements of romantic literature with fantasy, usually featuring themes of magic, the supernatural, or adventure along with a primary romantic plot.
Commenting on this year’s selection, Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, stated:
“Since 2004, our goal has been to provide insight into language and cultural transformations through the Oxford Word of the Year. The shortlist for 2024 mirrors a moment in time concerning subjects that have sparked our curiosity and kept our conversations alive. Notably, this year’s list features a variety of words connected to past eras that have resurfaced in the public domain – in some instances, having been embraced and reimagined by online communities.
“We are thrilled to once again encourage the public to assist us in choosing the Word of the Year. Everyone has words that resonate with them and that encapsulate their feelings about a particular time. Witnessing people share those experiences as part of Word of the Year has been both enlightening and profoundly moving. The words we select represent who we are and highlight the profound influence language has in shaping our surroundings.”
Voting will remain open for two weeks, concluding on Thursday, 28 November. OUP will perform a thorough final analysis, taking into account corpus data, votes, and public feedback on the finalists before announcing the official Word of the Year for 2024 on 2 December.
