Cambridge Dictionary has announced its 2024 word of the year is "manifest," a formal 600-year-old word that's been given new life as Olympians, entertainers and social media influencers increasingly claim they channel their wishes into realities.

Cambridge Dictionary has chosen its word the year, and it's manifest. It beat out brat (inspired by Charli XCX 's album of the same name), ecotarian, and resilience.

The word 'manifest' has been announced as Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year, who add that they will include a new definition of the word in their dictionaries. While the word itself is not new, the way the word is used by celebrities and influencers is. It's almost as if a new definition of "manifest" has been "manifested" into existence.

The dictionary noted that the word had jumped from use in the self-help community and on social media to being widely used across mainstream media and beyond, as celebrities such as singer Dua Lipa and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles spoke of manifesting their success in 2024.

Manifest” has been named Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year for 2024 – despite academics admitting the concept of manifesting your own success has no scientific validity.

Cambridge Dictionary has put it out to the universe, naming “manifest” as its word of the year for 2024.

Though far from a new coinage — as an adjective meaning “clear” or “obvious,” the word dates back in English to at least the 1300s — the dictionary’s decision rests on its newest meaning as a verb, which attests to the power of visualization and positive thinking in making fervently held dreams come to pass.

Mentions of the term surged during the pandemic and have continued to grow, particularly on TikTok and other social media platforms.

From Chaucer and Shakespeare to Dua Lipa and Simone Biles - the meaning of the word and how it's used has changed over the years.

The Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year 2024 pick has no scientific validity, yet it won the mainstream media this year.