Every December, Merriam-Webster presents its Word of the Year as a summary of the social climate. It is not just a popular term, but an expression that reveals tensions, technological changes and public discussions. In 2025, the decision came after analyzing millions of searches and usages in English, a process that reflects which concepts aroused curiosity, confusion or concern among users.
The answer does not point to a specific political fact or a classic ideological slogan. This time the focus is on the everyday digital experience and that Impact of artificial intelligence about the information circulating on the Internet. “It’s a very telling word,” said Greg Barlow, president of Merriam-Webster, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s announcement. “It’s part of a transformative technology and something that people find fascinating, annoying and a little ridiculous.”
The selected term is “slop” and its meaning has changed throughout history. It originated in the 18th century to describe “soft clay” and later came to mean “something of little value.” In recent years its definition has been expanded “Low-quality digital content produced in large quantities using artificial intelligence”. In this sense, it includes absurd videos, strange advertising images, crude propaganda, fake news that looks real, and digital books written by automated systems.
The proliferation of video and image generators like Sora increased the phenomenon. These tools amaze with their realism, but also fuel fears surrounding misinformation, deepfakes and copyrights. Accordingly APThis type of content has been circulating for a long time, but is now easier to produce and distribute, including for political purposes. An example was the spread of manipulated images with animated characters to justify military actions, which reinvigorated the debate about the ethical limits of the use of AI.
For some users, the word they choose triggers rejection and alarm. For Barlow, however, it is also an expression of a healthy reaction. The increase in search queries suggests this More and more people are recognizing fake or bad content and demanding the opposite: authenticity. “They want real things, they want real things,” he said.
Merriam-Webster has selected a word every year since 2003. Editors analyze search trends and then reach consensus on the term that best represents the time period. In 2024, the word “polarization” was chosen in a context marked by the presidential election campaign and a strong climate of social confrontation in the United States.
A viral term that exploded on social networks over the summer. This is an inside joke with diffuse meaning that is linked to a song by rapper Skrilla.
This describes incorrect attitudes or empty gestures, from behavior in social networks to staging in national and international politics.
A historic concept in American politics that has returned to the forefront of debate as a result of the discussion about redistricting ahead of the midterm elections.
Merriam-Webster’s 2025 Word of the Year is “Slop” https://t.co/oAnRWRKZLh
– The Verge (@verge) December 15, 2025
Popular expression on the Internet that, due to technological saturation, invites you to disconnect from the digital world and return to real experiences.
The word received searches based on a specific event: the election of the first American pope in 2025.
The term has resurfaced heavily due to trade discussions and the impact of tariffs on the economy and foreign policy.
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg
The name of a lake in Massachusetts that came as a surprise due to its popularity in online gaming and dictionary consultations.
With information from Associated Press.
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