The Treccani 2025 Book of the Year confirms how the Italian language is a faithful mirror of reality. The selected neologisms do not arise by chance: they tell of conflicts, social transformations, new habits and political tensions that marked the year. Not simple linguistic fads, but words that emerge because they serve to name new or suddenly central phenomena in the public debate.
News and society: words that come from the street
From the daily news come terms that quickly entered common use such as pro Pal, linked to the mobilizations in support of the Palestinian cause, or foster city, which summarizes in a single word scandals and controversies on direct contracts in public procurement. Alongside these appears maranza, used to describe groups of noisy and provocative young people, and the expression zombie drug, a journalistic formula that reflects the devastating impact of fentanyl. They are words that condense judgements, fears and collective narratives.
Global politics and vocabulary
The political language of 2025 is enriched with terms that also come from other languages. Brandmauer, a German term meaning “fire wall”, is used to indicate the political isolation of far-right forces. Sumud, an Arabic word, expresses the concept of resilience, resistance and rootedness of the Palestinian people in their lands. Alongside these, expressions such as any represent an increasingly simplified and sometimes populist political communication while vannacciano refers to a specific way of doing politics and exposing oneself in public debate.
Technology, economy and new fears
Technology contributes decisively to the renewal of vocabulary. The term AI hallucination describes incorrect or invented responses from AI systems, becoming central to public discourse on the reliability of machines. Terms such as economic bullying and counter-duties enter the economy, linked to aggressive trade policies and new international tensions, while keybox – the combination box used in short-term rentals – and kiss cam, the camera that films couples in stadiums after the Coldplay affair, demonstrate how foreign words are now an integral part of everyday life.
Customs, curiosities and cultural identity
The language of costume brings back the more pop and media side of 2025. “Occhi splitting”, which went viral on social media after the text message scandal between Raoul Bova and the model Martina Ceretti, coexists with words like tornanza, which talks about the return to the places of origin as a choice of life and rebirth. And then there’s unplayable, a sporting tribute that celebrates absolute excellence. According to Treccani, only time will tell which of these terms will remain, but all together they make up the linguistic snapshot of a complex and rapidly changing year.
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