Every year, the announcement of Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year provides a cultural timestamp. But how is the winner chosen? The 2025 selection of “vibe coding” is the result of a meticulous process run by lexicographers who monitor the 24-billion-word Collins Corpus, a massive and constantly updated database of language.
This extensive corpus draws from a vast range of media sources, including news outlets, websites, publications, and, crucially, social media. By tracking this data, the Collins team can identify new words and measure their frequency and spread. “Vibe coding” was chosen as Word of the Year after lexicographers observed a “huge increase in usage” since it first appeared in February 2025.
The term itself—describing the use of AI to turn natural language into code—was coined by OpenAI engineer Andrej Karpathy. Its victory over other contenders highlights the profound and rapid impact of artificial intelligence on our vocabulary. Alex Beecroft, Collins’ managing director, said the word “perfectly captures how language is evolving alongside technology.”
The corpus also flagged other significant linguistic trends. “Clanker,” a derogatory term for AI, went viral on social media, reflecting public anxiety. “Broligarchy” emerged as a term for the tech elite. The corpus also tracked the rise of “Henry” (high earner, not rich yet), “aura farming” (cultivating a cool persona), and “taskmasking” (faking productivity).
This data-driven approach ensures the Word of the Year is not just a passing fad but a true reflection of the concepts and conversations that defined the past 12 months. The 2025 list, with its heavy emphasis on tech, work, and economics, paints a vivid picture of a society in rapid transition.