Metaverse takes second place in the Oxford word of the year competition

What is the 'word of the year'?

According to OxfordLanguages, “The Word of the Year is a word or expression that reflects the ethos, mood, or concerns of the past twelve months, that has potential as a term of lasting cultural significance. Therefore, the choice of candidates was made based on analysis of their presence in people’s daily lives.” 

Understand: what is metaverse

Expectations in 'metaverse' were high

There was an expectation that the word 'metaverse' would be chosen as the term of the year after the strong popularization caused by social networks. Furthermore, the word has been widely spread even outside the English language. Metaverse is “a (hypothetical) virtual reality environment in which users interact with each other's avatars and their surroundings in an immersive way, sometimes postulated as a potential extension or replacement for the internet, World Wide Web, social media, etc”, as the Oxford dictionary narrates.

Metaverse could be Oxford University's word of the year

When it was first mentioned, back in the 90s, in a book called Snow Crash, the term metaverse appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary. Now, 30 years later, “metaverse” could be chosen as the word of the year by the traditional English university, through popular voting.

'Metaverso' surpassed '#Standwith' in popular internet voting

The result was released on December 4th, and as justification for metaverse having surpassed #IStandwith, Oxford considered that 'metaverse' gained voting strength with cryptographic communities and publications. “We see the use of the term continuing to grow as more voices join the debate about sustainability and the viability of its future.”