According to Merriam-Webster, these words became official in the following years.

By: Josh Sanchez

 

2002

Parkour – the sport of traversing environmental obstacles by running, climbing, or leaping rapidly and efficiently

Norovirus – any genus of small, round, single-stranded RNA viruses that include single species (species Norwalk virus) with various strains causing gastroenteritis in people and animals (such as cows, pigs, and dogs)

Selfie – an image that includes oneself (often with another person or as part of a group) and is taken by oneself using a digital camera especially for posting on social networks

Dubstep – a type of electronic dance music having prominent base lines and syncopated drum patterns

Vlog – a blog that contains video material

Thumb drive – a small usually rectangular device used for storing and transferring computer data

Airplane mode – an operating mode for an electronic device (such as a mobile phone) in which the device does not connect to wireless networks and cannot send or receive communications (such as calls or text messages) or access the Internet but remains usable for other functions

Borked – not working properly

TL;DR – too long; didn’t read – used to say that something would require too much time to read

Goji berry – the dark red, mildly tart berry of a thorny, chiefly Asian shrub (Lycium barbarum and L. Chinese) that typically dried and used in beverages

2003

Anti-cultural – attacking or opposing the culture of a particular ethnic group

Net neutrality – the idea, principle, or requirement that Internet service providers should or must treat all Internet data as the same regardless of its kind, source, or destination

Physical distance – a greater than usual physical separation between people during the outbreak or contagious disease in order to minimize exposure and reduce the transmission of infection

Skype – to use the Skype service to make phone calls with enabled video support

Unfriend – to remove (someone) from a list of designated friends on a person’s social networking website

Social distancing – the practice of maintaining greater than usual distance physical distance (such as six feet or more) from other people or of avoiding direct contact with people or of objects in public places during the outbreak of a contagious disease in order to minimize exposure and reduce transmission of infection

Electronic cigarette – a battery-operated device that is typically designed to resemble a traditional cigarette and is used to inhale a usually nicotine-containing vapor

Binge-watch – to watch many or all episodes of (a TV series) in rapid succession

Bottle episode – an inexpensively produced episode of a television series that is typically confined to one setting

Climate change denier – one who denies that changes in Earth’s climate or weather patterns are caused by human activity

2004

Social media – forms of electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (such as videos)

Podcast – a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the internet

Paywall – a system that prevents Internet users from accessing certain Web content without a paid subscription

Life hack – a usually simple and clever tip or technique for accomplishing some familiar task more easily and efficiently

Waterboarding – an interrogation technique usually regarded as a form of torture in which water is forced into a detainee’s mouth and nose so as to induce the sensation of drowning

FOMO – fear of missing out: fear of not being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are experiencing

Aromantic – having little or no romantic feeling toward others: experiencing little or no romantic desire or attraction

Tocilizumab – an immunosuppressive drug that is a monoclonal antibody which binds to cell receptors and blocks the action of interleukin-6 and that is administered by injection to treat various inflammatory conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis

Roentgenium – a short-lived radioactive element produced artificially

Sapiosexual – of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to highly intelligent people

2005

Vodcast – a video podcast

Debbie Downer – a negative or pessimistic person: a person who speaks only of the bad or depressing aspects of something and lessens the enthusiasm or pleasure of others

Sexting – the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cell phone

Ransomware – malware that requires the victim to pay a ransom access encrypted files

On-brand – appropriate to, typical of, consistent with, or supportive of a particular brand or public image or identity

Glamping – outdoor camping with amenities and comforts (such as beds, electricity, and access to indoor plumbing) not usually used when camping

Microblogging – blogging done with severe space or size constraints typically by posting brief messages about personal activities

Truther – one who believes that the truth about an important subject or event is being concealed from the public by a powerful conspiracy

Rock snot – (also called a DIDYMO) a freshwater, microscopic diatom (Didymosphenia geminata) typically of cool, nutrient-poor waters of Canada and the northern U.S and Europe that has become invasive in warmer waters where it forms large, thick brown, yellow, or whitish mats such as a submerged substrate (such as a rock or plant)

Pre-exposure prophylaxis – a preventive treatment for HIV infection in which antiretroviral drugs are taken by an uninfected person who is at a high risk of contracting HIV