The Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year for 2025 is parasocial. The term describes a strong, often one-sided emotional attachment to a celebrity, a fictional character, or a chatbot.
The dictionary cites singer Taylor Swift as an example.
“Taylor Swift is perhaps the most striking example. She carefully builds her social media presence, encouraging fans to feel a sense of personal connection. Her recent Instagram announcement of her engagement to American football star Travis Kelce has fans around the world excited, as if it were a close friend,” the dictionary’s website says.
The term was coined in 1956 by anthropologist Donald Gorton and sociologist Richard Wall. This is how they described the emotional attachment that television viewers have to television program participants – in particular, talk show hosts.
In 2025, the use of the word “parasocial” increased dramatically – primarily due to concerns that people are forming similar relationships with artificial intelligence, particularly with chatbots like ChatGPT.