Check out the list of 'banished words' for 2023!
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Have you ever thought about the importance of words? It's how we express ourselves, communicate with one another and most people rely on words in some shape or form every single day.
It's clear words play an important role in our everyday lives, but how would you feel if some of the vocabulary you use was suddenly banned one day? Well, that's exactly what one university in the American state of Michigan has done!
Beginning all the way back in 1976, Lake Superior State University (LSSU) has put out a "Banished Words List" every year. It's made up of words and terms LSSU say should be avoided.
More than 1,500 words and phrases were nominated this time around for banishment for their "misuse, overuse, and uselessness".
Suggestions for 2023's banned words list came from all around the world, including Australia, France, England, China, Nigeria and Malaysia, with some words being put forward multiple times.
Once all the nominations were in, a list of the top 10 to be banished this year was put together. It's not the first time some of the words have been banned!
1. GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)
2. Inflection point
3. Quiet quitting
4. Gaslighting
5. Moving forward
6. Amazing
7. Does that make sense?
8. Irregardless
9. Absolutely
10. It is what it is
What do you think about this year's list of banned words? Are there any you think should or should definitely not be there? Why not leave us a comment below!
Topping the poll this year was the term 'GOAT', which stands for Greatest of All Time. Many felt the term was overused and didn't make a lot of sense.
"Applied to everyone and everything from athletes to chicken wings," one person who voted for the banishment of the term said. "How can anyone or anything be the GOAT, anyway?"
Other words making it onto this year's list were 'gaslighting' (when someone denies someone else's reality and gets them to doubt themselves), which nominators argued was overused, 'moving forward', which one voter thought didn't make sense as humans can't travel back in time and 'amazing', which was previously banned in 2012.
"This glorious word should be reserved for that which is dazzling, moving, or awe-inspiring," said one nominator. They argued it was a "worn-out adjective" which should only be used for things that are actually amazing.
The phrases, 'Does that make sense?' and 'it is what it is' were also ranked highly, while the word 'absolutely', which was banned in 1996, found itself in the top 10 once again.
With this year's banished words now out, we want to hear from you! Do you think it's a good idea to ban certain words? You can have your say in our vote.
If you can't see this vote, click here.
And if you could ban any word in the world for good, what would it be and why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and find out if anyone agrees with you!
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