Zeitgeist in a word: Oxford's 2024 shortlist reflects a world in flux

As we barrel towards a generative AI-dominated future, the art of picking a word of the year will only get trickier

Every year, as the calendar flips its final pages, a curious exercise plays out: Dictionaries across the world distil the chaos of 12 months into a single word. And no, it’s not just about plucking a buzzy term off trending hashtags or catchy headlines: The word of the year is meant to embody the collective mood — a linguistic mirror to our shifting priorities, anxieties, and obsessions.

 

Take “manifest”, Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year for 2024. A term with mystical undertones, manifest has reemerged as a modern mantra for success, fuelled by the affirmations of celebrities like pop star