Cambridge Dictionary has named its word of the year for 2025, alighting on "parasocial," used to describe a connection that people feel with someone they don't know or even with an artificial intelligence.

The term was coined in 1956 by sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, who wanted to describe how television viewers formed "para-social" relationships with TV personalities, the dictionary said in a statement.

This phenomenon continues today, as social media users form parasocial relationships with celebrities.

A key example cited by Cambridge Dictionary is singer Taylor Swift, who announced her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce this year, with many fans talking of their heartfelt feelings toward a couple that the vast majority had never met.

Another is British singer Lily Al

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