"NFT" or "Non-Fungible Token" has been named the word of the year by Collins Dictionary experts. The annual list of new and notable words released today includes "Regencycore" and "cheugy".

NFT was chosen as the word of the year after seeing a usage growth of over 11,000% in 2021. NFT, which stands for a unique digital identifier that records ownership of a digital asset, has entered the mainstream this year as millions of dollars have been spent on popular images and videos. Any digital creation, including a picture, a video, a piece of music, or even a tweet, can become an NFT, with the highest price of 5.9 million euros achieved in a March auction at Sotheby's.

Alex Beecroft, a MDCollinsLearning expert, described the word as having an unusually rapid growth in abbreviation usage, but the data from Collins corpus reflects the significant dominance of NFT in 2021.

NFT seems to be everywhere, from the art industry to the finance sector, galleries, auction houses, and social media platforms. Whether NFT will have a lasting impact remains to be seen, but its sudden prominence in conversations around the world makes it unmistakably our word of the year. Its unique collision of art, technology, and commerce breaks through the noise of the pandemic with dramatic effect.

"NFT" is one of the three technology-related words selected by Collins as one of the top 10 words of the year, along with "crypto" (short for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin) and "metaverse" (describing a three-dimensional virtual world).

The word of the year for 2020 was "lockdown", as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the language remains significant, with three related words making the list this year. "Hybrid working" signifies a mix of commuting and working from home and is included alongside "double-vaxxed", referring to anyone who has received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

This year, the term "climate anxiety" made the list, reflecting growing concerns about climate change and a lack of action to address it.

Similarly, conversations about gender and representation of transgender and non-binary individuals have led to an increase in the use of "new pronouns", another word on this year's list.

Two new words complete this year's list. "Regencycore" is related to recent shows like Bridgerton that have influenced fans and fashion, while "cheugy" is a slang term used to describe and dismiss anything considered uncool or unstylish.

Source: Netease