A 70-year-old academic term has been crowned Word of the Year for 2025, after surging back into mainstream use as more of our lives play out online.

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Parasocial is 2025's most important word, according to Cambridge Dictionary, which defines it as "a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know".

"What was once a specialist academic term has become mainstream," Cambridge Dictionary editor Colin McIntosh said.

"Millions of people are engaged in parasocial relationships; many more are simply intrigued by th

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