Every Oxford ‘Word of the Year’ Since 2004

A young person of a type characterized by brash and loutish behaviour and the wearing of designer-style clothes (esp. sportswear).

A digital audio file of speech, music, broadcast material, etc., made available on the internet for downloading to a computer or portable media player.

A type of logic puzzle, the object of which is to fill a grid of nine squares by nine squares (subdivided into nine regions of three-by-three squares) with the numbers one to nine, in such a way that every number appears only once in each horizontal line, vertical line, and three-by-three subdivision.

Making or resulting in zero net emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Used rhetorically to express indifference to or a lack of concern about something (with allusion to the catchphrase of a character played by British comedian Catherine Tate).

A person whose diet consists only or principally of locally grown or produced food.

The environmental impact of a particular individual, community, or organization, or of a specific event, product, etc., measured in terms of the total associated greenhouse gas emissions.

The practice of making adjustments to a vehicle or using driving techniques that will maximize the vehicle’s fuel economy.

A severe reduction in lending by banks and other financial institutions, typically as a result of widespread (or anticipated) defaulting on loans, mortgages, etc.

To remove (a person) from a list of friends or contacts on a social networking website.

Used (usually immediately after a statement giving a solution to a problem) to indicate that something is very simple or straightforward to do, understand, resolve, etc.

Used loosely to mean “to reject” [a portmanteau of “repudiate” and “refute”].

A political concept whereby a significant amount of responsibility for the running of a society’s services is devolved to local communities and volunteers.

The section of society regarded as particularly affected by inflation, wage freezes, and cuts in public spending during a time of economic difficulty, consisting principally of those people on low or middle incomes.

A standard format for encoding images as compressed color bitmap graphics files which enables them to be displayed, stored, and transmitted between networks.

Chiefly in political contexts: a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, or is characterized by a series of blunders and miscalculations.

A photograph that one has taken of oneself, esp. one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media.

To inhale and exhale the vapour of (a substance) using an electronic cigarette or similar device.

[“Chosen as the ‘word’ that best reflected the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of 2015.”]

Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping political debate or public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.

A significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.

[“It is the sheer scope of its application, as found by our research, that made toxic the stand-out choice for the Word of the Year title.”]

A situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.

[“As our Word of the Year process started and this data was opened up, it quickly became apparent that 2020 is not a year that could neatly be accommodated in one single ‘word of the year’.”]

[Not defined by Oxford, but short for “vaccine” or “vaccinate.”]