Manifest. Verb. "To use methods such as visualization and affirmation to help you imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen." Essentially willing something into existence through the power of positive thinking. The word has been named the Word of the Year 2024 by Cambridge Dictionary, following a surge in celebrity-driven popularity on social media.

This year, the term was searched nearly 130,000 times on the Cambridge Dictionary website, with mentions gaining momentum on platforms like TikTok. The word, as an adjective meaning "easily noticed or obvious" and as a verb meaning "to show something clearly through signs or actions," has roots in English dating back to at least the 1300s. However, the dictionary's choice to designate it as their Word of the Year is based on its latest usage as a verb.

"In 2024, the word 'manifest' leaped from being predominantly used within the self-help community and on social media to being widely referenced across mainstream media," stated Cambridge Dictionary. "When renowned performers, star athletes, and influential entrepreneurs claim they have achieved something because they manifested it, they are employing this verb in a more contemporary sense: to use particular practices to concentrate your mind on something you desire, aiming to make it a reality."

For example, singer Dua Lipa has credited her success—including headlining Glastonbury this year—to manifesting. Another notable figure who discussed manifesting success this year was US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, while fans of Sabrina Carpenter hailed her as a "manifesting queen" for her appearance with Taylor Swift during the Eras Tour.

"When we select a Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year, we consider three factors: user data, zeitgeist, and language," says Wendalyn Nichols, the Publishing Manager of Cambridge Dictionary. "Manifest won this year because it saw a significant rise in lookups, its usage expanded across various media types, and it illustrates how the meanings of a word can evolve over time."

However, this scientifically unproven practice has its own set of controversies. Sander van der Linden, a professor of social psychology at Cambridge University, warned that it lacks scientific validity. "Manifesting is what psychologists term 'magical thinking' or the general illusion that specific mental rituals can alter the world around us," van der Linden explained. "Manifesting gained immense popularity during the pandemic on TikTok with billions of views, including the widely-followed 3-6-9 method, which instructs writing down your wishes three times in the morning, six times in the afternoon, and nine times before bed."

She continued: "This routine fosters obsessive and compulsive behavior with no apparent benefits. Yet, can we fault people for trying it when prominent celebrities openly 'manifest' their success?" "There is solid research on the benefits of positive thinking, self-affirmation, and goal-setting... However, it is vital to distinguish between the power of positive thinking and the notion of moving reality with your mind—the former is beneficial, while the latter is pseudoscience."

Cambridge Dictionary also highlighted the words that were strong contenders for 2024’s Word of the Year, including 'brat', Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year (“Although using this term as an adjective (Charlie XCX called Kamala Harris brat, not a brat) is linguistically intriguing, flipping a negative term to use it in a defiantly positive way is not an unusual linguistic practice, and it doesn’t yet constitute a new meaning that would be added to the dictionary”); 'ecotarian', which “mirrors the increasing trend towards environmentally conscious living”; and 'resilience', reflecting “the strength and adaptability required in difficult times” (“However, there is not much to say about it linguistically.”). They also disclosed some of the words they’ve started monitoring this year.

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