The 127-year-old American Dialect Society (ADS) was, as far as we know, the first organization to declare a word of the year. A host of dictionaries, media outlets, and others now offer their own choices for word of the year, but the ADS—made up of linguists, lexicographers, etymologists, and other researchers—still gives the most authoritative account of big linguistic movements over 12 months of American English.
Each January, ADS members nominate and vote on words in various categories; think of it as the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards of linguistics. There is a category for word of the year, of course, but also most creative word, most outrageous, least likely to succeed, and more. New categories this year are most notable emoji and most notable hashtag.
And the awards for 2015 are in.
The word of the year? Singular “they,” used to refer to a person of any gender, as in the sentence, “If somebody decides to take on this challenge, I sure hope they know what they’re getting in to.” This usage replaces what we’ve long been told should be “he or she,” only it is shorter, already widely used in conversation, and does not imply the old man/woman gender binary. (Quartz independently chose “they” this year as well.)
“While editors have increasingly moved to accepting singular they when used in a generic fashion, voters in the Word of the Year proceedings singled out its newer usage as an identifier for someone who may identify as ‘non-binary’ in gender terms,” the ADS noted in its official statement.
Here are the full results for all categories, including the total number of votes, and definitions provided by ADS.
Word of the Year
Nominee
Meaning
ammosexual
someone who loves firearms in a fetishistic manner
ghost
(verb) abruptly end a relationship by cutting off communication, especially online
on fleek
put together, impeccable, well-arrayed
thanks, Obama
sarcastic expression in which a person pretends to blame Obama for a problem
they
gender-neutral singular pronoun for a known person, particularly as a nonbinary identifier
Most Useful
Nominee
Meaning
mic drop
definitive end to a discussion after making an impressive point
microaggression
subtle form of racism or bias
shade
insult, criticism or disrespect, shown in a subtle or clever manner
they
gender-neutral singular pronoun for a known person, particularly as a nonbinary identifier
zero fucks given, ZFG
indication of supreme indifference
Most Creative
Nominee
Meaning
adult
(verb) behave like a grownup
ammosexual
someone who loves firearms in a fetishistic manner
lowkey
(adverb) to a small extent, in a subtle manner; opposite of highkey
squad
one’s posse or close circle of friends
yass, yaass, yaaass, etc.
expression of excitement, approval or strong agreement
Most Unnecessary
Nominee
Meaning
dadbod
the flabby physique of a typical dad
manbun
man’s hairstyle pulled up in a bun
or nah
question tag expressing that something may not occur
trigger warning
alert for potentially distressing material
thanks, Obama
sarcastic expression in which a person pretends to blame Obama for a problem
Most Outrageous
Nominee
Meaning
fish gape
posed expression with cheeks sucked in and lips slightly apart
fuckboy, fuckboi
derogatory term for a man who behaves objectionably or promiscuously
schlong
(verb) defeat soundly
sharewashing
deceptive marketing by companies treating services as “sharing
white student union
campus organization organized in response to a black student union
Most Euphemistic
Nominee
Meaning
af, asf
intensifier after an adjective (abbreviation for “as fuck”)
lit
amazing, exciting or fun
Netflix and chill
sexual come-on masked as a suggestion to watch Netflix and relax
swipe right/left
accept or reject (based on gestures used on Tinder dating app)
Most Likely to Succeed
Nominee
Meaning
CRISPR
gene-editing technology allowing biologists to alter and control DNA sequences
ghost
(verb) abruptly end a relationship by cutting off communication, especially online
mom
admiring term of address for a woman seen as a mother figure
on fleek
put together, impeccable, well-arrayed
Least Likely to Succeed
Nominee
Meaning
Berniementum
momentum behind the candidacy of Bernie Sanders
hoverboard
self-balancing motorized skateboard
sitbit
device that rewards sedentary lifestyle (play on Fitbit fitness tracker)
Uber for X
pitch used by startups seeking to emulate Uber in different tech sectors
Most Notable Hashtag
Nominee
Meaning
#JeSuisParis
expression of solidarity after the Paris terror attacks
#LoveWins
celebration of Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage
#SayHerName
call to bring attention to violence against women of color
#StayMadAbby
ridiculing plaintiff in Univ of Texas affirmative action case.
#StayWoke
exhortation to remain vigilant and informed (used by #BlackLivesMatter movement)
