Word of the Day
vibe
noun
a general feeling or sensation that someone gets or has about something.
Why Dictionary.com chose vibe
This year, one of the top lookups at Dictionary.com was the word vibe, the current go-to term—along with the plural vibes—for talking about the overall feel of a situation or person. Which got us thinking: Is there a word that best represents the culture vibe we collectively experienced in 2023? And so, for the first time, we’ve chosen a Vibe of the Year. (In addition to our traditional Word of the Year.) Watch below to find out more!
More about vibe
- Vibe is an Americanism that dates back to 1965–70.
- Vibe in the highlighted sense is often used in the plural as in, good vibes.
- Vibe was created by shortening the word vibration(s) in the sense of “instinctive feelings supposedly influencing human communication,” perhaps most famously used in the popular 1966 Beach Boys song, “Good Vibrations.”
EXAMPLES OF VIBE
- Watching the sunrise, they contemplated embracing a more relaxed vibe in the coming year.
- As soon as she entered the art gallery, a sense of calm and tranquility washed over her, giving her peaceful vibes.
Find out what Dictionary.com chose as the 2023 Vibe of the Year!
boilerplate
noun
the detailed standard wording of a contract or warranty.
Why Dictionary.com chose boilerplate
More about boilerplate
- Boilerplate, also spelled boiler plate, was first recorded in 1855–60.
- Boilerplate is a combination of boiler, “a vessel for boiling and heating,” and plate, “a flat or curved sheet of metal.”
- Boilerplate was originally used to refer to the plates made for boilers.
- The use of boilerplate to refer to reusable text is likely based on the fact that the first boilerplate text was stamped into the metal to be used in the printing press.
- Now boilerplates are used in all kinds of documents for all kinds of industries, most notably journalism and computer programming.
EXAMPLES OF BOILERPLATE
- The warranty for the product had a section that was all boilerplate, outlining its limitations and exclusions.
- The company’s terms and conditions included a boilerplate clause that protected their intellectual property rights.
Why Dictionary.com chose en masse
More about en masse
- En masse was borrowed into English from French around 1795–1805.
- En masse in French means “in a body,” literally “in a mass.”
- The English word mass comes from the Latin word massa, meaning “mass,” which came from the Greek word mâza, “barley cake.”
- Mâza is related to the Greek verb mássein, “to knead.”
EXAMPLES OF EN MASSE
- After the game ended, fans left the stadium en masse, discussing their favorite plays and memorable moments.
- The birds took flight from their nests en masse, filling the sky with a mesmerizing display of synchronized movement.