November 26, 2024

By Nandini Tyagi

‘Demure’ is Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year 2024: A Look Back at Recent Trends

Nov 26, 2024

nandinityagi

Dictionary.com, an online dictionary platform,serves as a resource for understanding language trends. Each year, it selects a Word of the Year, reflecting social changes, cultural moments and technological advancements. Take a look at recent trends

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Definition: characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved The word experienced a meteoric rise in its usage due to the popularisation of the phrase “very demure, very mindful”, mainly attributed to the TikToker Jools Lebron

2024 'Demure'

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Definition: (In AI) to produce false information contrary to the intent of the user and present it as if true and factual It highlights the rise of AI and the issues of misinformation from technologies like chatbots, reflecting worldwide concerns about accuracy and trust

2023 'Hallucinate'

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Definition: an adult female person The word gained significance because of the debates on gender, identity and language

2022 'Woman'

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Definition: the status or role of a person who advocates and actively works for the inclusion of a marginalized group...not as a member of that group but in solidarity with its struggle  The word acknowledged movements for social justice, such as Black Lives Matter, and efforts to foster inclusion

2021 'Allyship'

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Definition: (of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area The word captured the defining global experience of the COVID-19 crisis, shaping language, social behaviour and policies

2020 'Pandemic '

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Definition: of or relating to existence The word was selected because of the growing concerns over climate change, political unrest, and the search for meaning in a turbulent world

2019 'Existential'

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Cambridge dictionary, on the other hand, has selected ‘Manifest’ as its word of the year in 2024. ‘Manifest’ refers to the “methods such as visualisation and affirmation to imagine achieving something you desire, believing this will increase the likelihood of it happening”

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‘Demure’ named Word of the Year 2024 by Dictionary.com