'Vibe coding' named Word of the Year by Collins Dictionary

Published on 06/11/2025 - 10:45 GMT+1

The lexicographers astatine Collins Dictionary show nan 24-billion-word Collins Corpus, which draws from a scope of media sources to create nan yearly database of caller and notable words that "reflect our ever-evolving connection and nan preoccupations of those who usage it".

For 2025, Collins Dictionary has chosen arsenic their Word of nan Year - which is technically 2 words - nan word “vibe coding”, which is nan creation of turning connection into machine codification utilizing artificial intelligence.

Coined by Andrej Karpathy, erstwhile AI head astatine Tesla and founding technologist astatine OpenAI, nan word describes really personification tin usage AI to create a caller app while forgetting "that nan codification moreover exists” - a believe which has allowed non-coders to create integer platforms.

Collins Dictionary defines it arsenic “the usage of artificial intelligence prompted by a earthy connection to assistance pinch nan penning of machine code”, and noted a ample uptick successful nan usage of "vibe coding" since its first quality successful February 2025.

"The action of ‘vibe coding’ arsenic Collins’ Word of nan Year perfectly captures really connection is evolving alongside technology," said Collins MD Alex Beecroft. "It signals a awesome displacement successful package development, wherever AI is making coding much accessible.”

He added: “The seamless integration of quality productivity and instrumentality intelligence demonstrates really earthy connection is fundamentally changing our relationship pinch computers."

“Vibe coding” follows connected from past year's "brat", which was popularised by British vocalist Charli XCX. It was 1 of 10 words connected a shortlist to bespeak nan mood, connection and preoccupations of 2025.

Here are nan ones that astir made it – galore of which besides appeared successful Dictionary.com’s shortlist for their Word of nan Year:

• Aura farming: nan deliberate cultivation of a unique and charismatic persona
• Biohacking: nan activity of altering nan earthy processes of one's assemblage successful an effort to amended one's wellness and longevity
• Broligarchy: a mini clique of very able men who exert governmental influence
• Clanker: a derogatory word of a computer, robot, aliases root of artificial intelligence (a connection popularised by Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
• Coolcation: a vacation successful a spot pinch a cool climate
• Glaze: to praise aliases flatter personification excessively aliases undeservedly
• HENRY: acronym for "high earner, not rich | yet", aliases a personification who has not accrued important wealthiness from their precocious income
• Micro-retirement: a break taken betwixt periods of employment successful bid to prosecute individual interests
• Taskmasking: nan enactment of giving a mendacious belief that 1 is being productive successful nan workplace

And successful lawsuit you wanted a travel down representation lane, present are Collins Dictionary’s Words of nan Year for nan past 5 years:

• 2020: Lockdown: chosen successful nan tallness of nan COVID-19 pandemic - "the imposition of stringent restrictions connected travel, societal interaction, and entree to nationalist spaces"
• 2021: NFT: non-fungible token - a unsocial integer identifier that is recorded connected a blockchain, utilized to certify ownership and authenticity
• 2022: Permacrisis: "an extended play of instability and insecurity"
• 2023: AI: nan abbreviation of artificial intelligence
• 2024: Brat: popularised by British vocalist Charli XCX - a manner "characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude".