Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year is – would you believe? – “parasocial” reports CBS News .

The word describes when you feel a personal connection to a celebrity, which makes sense given the world in which we find ourselves in as many A-listers use social media to directly connect with fans.

Parasocial is defined as “involving or relating to a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know, a character in a book, film, TV series, etc., or an artificial intelligence.”

Colin McIntosh, the lexical program manager for Cambridge Dictionary, says the world has been around for about 70 years, but it has only become mainstream now.

“Millions of people are engaged in parasocial relationships; many more are simply intrigued by their rise,” McInt

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