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Collins Dictionary lexicographers monitor the 24 billion word Collins Corpus. The Collins Corpus creates an annual list of new and noteworthy words drawn from a variety of media sources that “reflect the evolving interests of language and the people who use it.”
Collins Dictionary for 2025 word of the year It technically consists of two words. The term “vibe coding” is a technique that uses artificial intelligence to translate language into computer code.
Coined by Andrej Karpathy, former director of AI at Tesla and founding engineer at OpenAI, the term describes how someone can use AI to create a new app, forgetting that “the code even exists.” This has made it possible for non-programmers to create digital platforms.
Collins Dictionary defines it as “the use of artificial intelligence prompted by natural language to assist in the creation of computer code,” and says that the usage of “vibe coding” has increased significantly since it first appeared in February 2025.
“Choosing ‘vibe coding’ as Collins’ Word of the Year perfectly captures how language is evolving with technology,” said Alex Beecroft, MD, PhD. “This marks a major shift in software development, where AI makes coding more accessible.”
He added: “The seamless integration of human creativity and machine intelligence shows that natural language is fundamentally changing the way we interact with computers.”
“Vibe Coding” Continuing from last year’s “Brat”made famous by the British singer. Charli XCX. It was one of 10 words shortlisted to reflect the mood, language and interests of 2025.
Here are some that were almost successful. Many of them are Dictionary.com’s word of the year shortlist:
- aura cultivation: Deliberately developing a unique and charismatic personality
- biohacking: Activities that alter the body’s natural processes to improve health and longevity
- broligarchy: a small group of extremely wealthy men who exercise political influence
- Ponkotsu: a derogatory term referring to a computer, robot, or source of artificial intelligence (a term popularized by Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
- Coolcation: A holiday spent in a place with a cool climate
- glaze: to praise or flatter someone excessively or unfairly
- henry: Acronym for “high income earner, not yet rich”, or someone who has not built enough wealth from a high income
- micro retirement: a break taken during a period of employment to pursue personal interests
- task masking: Acts that give the false impression of being productive at work.
If you’d like to take a trip down memory lane, here are Collins Dictionary’s Words of the Year from the past five years.
- 2020: Lockdown: chosen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic – “the imposition of severe restrictions on travel, social interaction and access to public spaces”
- 2021: NFT: Non-fungible token – A unique digital identifier recorded on the blockchain and used to prove ownership and authenticity.
- 2022: Permacrisis: “Long-term instability and anxiety”
- 2023: AI: Abbreviation for artificial intelligence
- 2024: Gaki: popularized by British singer Charli XCX – a lifestyle “characterized by a confident, independent and hedonistic attitude”.