The Oxford Word of the Year 2022 has been revealed, after being chosen by the public for the first time in its history.

The Oxford Word of the Year, run by Oxford University Press, is a word or expression which is described as “reflecting the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the past twelve months, one that has potential as a term of lasting cultural significance”.

Previous words have included vax (2021), climate emergency (2019), and selfie (2013).

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This year’s Word of the Year was selected by the public for the first time, with ‘metaverse’ and ‘#IStandWith’ the other contenders for the top spot.

During the voting period, more than 300,000 people had their say and this year’s winner has been revealed as ‘goblin mode’.

The slang term is often used in the expressions ‘in goblin mode’ or ‘to go goblin mode’ and is “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations”, the Oxford English Dictionary states.

Linguist and lexicographer Ben Zimmer who spoke at a special event to announce this year’s approach to selecting the Oxford Word of the Year said: “Goblin Mode really does speak to the times and the zeitgeist, and it is certainly a 2022 expression. People are looking at social norms in new ways. It gives people the license to ditch social norms and embrace new ones.”

Casper Grathwohl, President, Oxford Languages, said: “We were hoping the public would enjoy being brought into the process, but this level of engagement with the campaign caught us totally by surprise.

"The strength of the response highlights how important our vocabulary is to understanding who we are and processing what’s happening to the world around us. Given the year we’ve just experienced, ‘Goblin mode’ resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point.

"It’s a relief to acknowledge that we’re not always the idealized, curated selves that we’re encouraged to present on our Instagram and TikTok feeds.

"This has been demonstrated by the dramatic rise of platforms like BeReal where users share images of their unedited selves, often capturing self-indulgent moments in goblin mode.

"People are embracing their inner goblin, and voters choosing ‘goblin mode’ as the Word of the Year tells us the concept is likely here to stay.”

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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.

You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry

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