Cambridge Names ‘Parasocial’ 2025 Word of the Year Amid AI-Era Relationship Rise

Cambridge Dictionary has chosen “parasocial” as its Word of the Year 2025. The term describes a one-sided connection someone feels with a celebrity, fictional character or even an AI, despite never meeting them.

The term was first coined in 1956 by sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, the concept has become mainstream in an era of intense digital fandom.

Cambridge cites examples like Taylor Swift, whose deeply personal lyrics have led millions of fans to form emotional bonds with her. Similar parasocial ties have emerged with AI bots, where users treat tools like ChatGPT as friends or confidants, raising new psychological concerns.

Colin McIntosh of Cambridge Dictionary said “parasocial” perfectly captures the 2025 zeitgeist, noting that a once academic term has now entered everyday language. He added that millions of people engage in parasocial relationships, reflected in surging searches for the word on the dictionary’s website.

Simone Schnall, Professor of Experimental Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge, said the rise of parasocial bonds has transformed fandom, celebrity culture and, with AI, the way people interact online.

Simone said: “As trust in traditional media declines, people turn to influencers as authorities and form parasocial bonds, treating them like close friends, family or even cult leaders.” She said these one-sided bonds can feel real and breed loyalty, and even normal fandom can turn obsessive, as seen in online fixation on stars like Taylor Swift.

Cambridge Dictionary also added new AI-related terms this year, including “slop” for low-quality AI content, “pseudonymization” for replacing personal data with coded identifiers, and “memeify” for turning something into a viral meme.