Biohacking – a popular term in beauty – has been named one of the most notable words of 2025 by Collins Dictionary.
The word features in the dictionary’s annual ‘word of the year’ list, where lexicographers monitor the 24 billion-word Collins Corpus and create an annual list of new and notable words that reflect our ever-evolving language.
Biohacking is described by Collins Dictionary as “the activity of altering the natural processes of one’s body in an attempt to improve one’s health and longevity”.
Cosmetics Business has reported on the rise of biohacking culture for some time, which is growing in tandem alongside longevity science.
Meanwhile, ‘vibe coding’ has been named Collins Dictionary’s official word of the year 2025.
The term is described by the dictionary as referring “to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) prompted by natural language to write computer code”.
“Basically, telling a machine what you want rather than painstakingly coding it yourself.
“It is programming by vibes, not variables.”
AI has also made a big impact on beauty this year, with an increasing number of brands exploring the format’s potential use in marketing campaigns.
‘Clanker’ – a derogatory term for computers, robots or sources of AI – was also named as a notable word on the list.
A popular term on social media, it is often used to express people’s frustrations with AI platforms and chatbots.
“Many words on this year’s shortlist speak to fundamental tensions: we are embracing AI and technology (vibe coding), while simultaneously resisting it (clanker),” read a blog by Collins Dictionary on the launch of the list.
“We are optimising our bodies (biohacking) and trying to optimise our bank balances (HENRY) while acknowledging we are burnt out, metaphorically and sometimes literally (micro-retirement).
“In 2025, it is more apparent than ever that people contain multitudes, and this year’s word of the year list encapsulates what it means to be human in the age of AI.”
Collins Dictionary draws from a range of media sources to make the list, including social media.
You can read more about Collins Dictionary's word of the year here.
Image credit: Adobe Stock.
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