DICTIONARY.COM NAMES 'ERAS' AS THE INAUGURAL 2023 VIBE OF THE YEAR

It's about more than just Taylor (but yes, also Taylor), as 2023 saw people empowering themselves to define—and redefine—their own personal 'eras'

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dictionary.com, the leading online and mobile English-language educational resource, today announced eras, defined as "periods of time in a person's life characterized by something distinctive and noticeable, such as a particular emotional state, relationship, achievement, or interest," as the inaugural 2023 Vibe of the Year, a playful addition to its annual Word of the Year selection. Eras was selected based on the shared sense that we're all looking for ways to define the perpetually shifting stages of our cultural and personal histories.

"Vibe was one of Dictionary.com's top lookups of the year, which led us to consider what word could best represent 2023's overall culture vibe," said Grant Barrett, head of lexicography at Dictionary.com. "Like vibe, the word era has been undergoing a similarly slangy evolution, referring to our moods, aesthetics, and life stages—and in 2023, we saw a real surge in this use of eras across popular culture."

In 2023, eras took on a new connotation beyond Taylor Swift's record-shattering Eras Tour, as people empowered themselves to define and redefine their own personal eras: 'I'm in my single era' or 'I'm in my adulting era.'

Along with debates about who's got rizz and who's a nepo baby (or nepo friend), Dictionary.com considered the era of woman-powered words, from girl dinner, coined on TikTok by Olivia Maher, to girl math, lucky girl syndrome, and vibecession, introduced by content creator Kyla Scanlon to refer to widespread pessimism about the economy regardless of the actual economic situation.

Last week, Dictionary.com announced hallucinate as the Word of the Year. Read more about Dictionary.com's Vibe of the Year selection here.

About Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com
Words define every aspect of our lives, from our ideas to our identities. Dictionary.com aspires to empower every person, of every background, to express themselves, make connections, and open the door to opportunity through the power and joy of language. With over 65 million visitors each month, Dictionary.com is the premier destination to learn, discover, and have fun with the limitless world of words and meanings. The brand helps you make sense of the ever-evolving English language so you can put your ideas into words—and your words into action.

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SOURCE Dictionary.com