Manifest - Cambridge Dictionary Announces Most Popular Word of the Year

'Manifest' is the word of the year for 2024 according to the Cambridge Dictionary. It is the most popular, as it has been searched online almost 130 thousand times this year.

The verb ‘to manifest’ means to use methods such as visualization (picturing something in your mind) and affirmation (repeating positive phrases) to help you imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen, according to the dictionary's website.

‘When choosing the word of the year, we are guided by three considerations: user data, the spirit of the times, and language. Which word was searched for most often, or which was the most popular? Which one really reflects what was happening that year? And what is interesting about this word from a linguistic point of view?

This year's winner is ‘manifest’ because it has seen a significant increase in searches, its use has expanded significantly across all types of media, and it demonstrates how the meaning of a word can change over time,’ said Wendalyn Nichols, publishing manager at the Cambridge Dictionary.

When celebrities or influencers claim to have achieved something because they ‘visualised’ it, they are using the verb in a more modern sense: to use certain practices to focus your mind on something you want to make it happen.

The practice gained popularity during the pandemic. People started sharing tips on social media on how to ‘manifest’ anything, from their dream home to a message from a loved one.

The number of requests increased especially on 8 August 2024. This day is considered a ‘powerful’ day for this practice. It was then that social media was flooded with advice on how to express yourself and grow financially.

‘The use of this meaning of the word ‘manifest’ has gained popularity with the increase in the number of ‘manifesting influencers’ promoting this scientifically unproven practice on social media to the point that it was added to the Cambridge Dictionary in May 2023,’ the experts said.

This practice is especially popular among celebrities. For example, athletes Simone Biles, Ezra Frech, and Mallory Wegemann, who won gold medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, attribute their achievements to ‘manifesting’. It was this event that also drew the world's attention to this practice.

Even the popular singer Dua Lipa ‘manifested’ her concert for more than 100,000 people at the Glastonbury Festival.

As a reminder, in 2023, the word of the year according to the Cambridge Dictionary was the verb ‘hallucinate’.