There was a time when the mere mention of a dictionary sparked a thrill, a pursuit of eloquent words. Many of us fondly recall childhood memories of expanding our vocabularies, mastering spelling, and proudly showcasing those impressive, often complex words as symbols of intelligence. Yet, here we are in 2025, witnessing Generation Alpha radically reshaping the global linguistic landscape. While Generation Z’s slang and unique expressions have long captured public attention, this new generation is pushing linguistic evolution to unprecedented levels.
Dictionary.com has, controversially, named “6-7” as its 2025 Word of the Year. This term is devoid of a formal definition, lacks traditional syntax, and has no clear etymological roots beyond its internet origins. Yet, it now stands alongside historically significant words like “Change,” “Privacy,” “Identity,” and “Pandemic.” What was once an annual linguistic barometer of global sentiment has, rather absurdly, morphed into a reflection of widespread bewilderment.
The crucial question isn’t just “What does ‘6-7’ mean?” but rather, “How did meaning itself so subtly erode from our language?”
When Words Told Stories, Not Just Trends
Once, the Word of the Year served as a powerful historical chronicle, reflecting the human condition of its era. For instance, Dictionary.com’s choice of “change” in 2010 embodied a society’s aspirations for transformation following global unrest. Subsequent selections like “identity,” “complicit,” and “allyship” were deeply rooted in the moral and social shifts of their respective times.
Each word carried a narrative, revealing aspects of our collective hopes, anxieties, and evolving consciousness. Language functioned as both a record and a responsibility. However, we now find ourselves facing a different kind of reflection—one that seems to distort reality more than illuminate it.
‘6-7’ and the Era of Faltering Expression
The emergence of “6-7” vividly illustrates this linguistic distortion. Originating from a 2024 rap lyric and amplified by a viral TikTok video featuring a boy’s expressive gestures, it spread rapidly. This term possesses no clear meaning, no established intent; it’s merely a sound, a movement, a shared instance of playful absurdity that somehow defies verbal explanation.
Teenagers adopted it widely, while adults struggled to decipher its elusive significance. Even Dictionary.com confessed to “still trying to figure out exactly what it means.” Yet, within this very ambiguity lies a profound, albeit uncomfortable, truth. “6-7” encapsulates an elusive aspect of our current cultural mood: a growing comfort with uncertainty, an obsession with irony, and the unsettling notion that sometimes, making no sense is the sense.
The Descent from Meaningful to Meme-able
Over time, the essence of the Word of the Year has shifted from profound reflection to fleeting virality. Previously, terms like “pandemic” and “allyship” fostered collective understanding; now, “6-7” achieves unity through a shared, dismissive shrug.
This transformation reflects a widespread cultural exhaustion—a world that is overstimulated and hyper-connected, yet paradoxically underwhelmed. In such an environment, the absurd often prevails precisely because gravitas has lost its grip.
Language inherently adapts to the times. However, when these times are defined by short attention spans and algorithmic dominance, language itself becomes ephemeral, more a performance than a genuine means of communication.
As Oscar Wilde eloquently observed, “Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art.” But what if these instruments cease to play harmonious melodies, producing only static?
The Irony of Connection
Dictionary.com defended its controversial choice, asserting that “6-7” holds significance for its users due to the connection it cultivates. While this may hold some truth, it starkly illuminates a central paradox of our era: we are connected without true comprehension, bound by shared amusement rather than shared language.
This phenomenon isn’t necessarily a sign of decay, but rather a profound transformation—though one not without its costs. We are observing a generation that communicates predominantly through gestures, fragmented ideas, and memes, often bypassing words grounded in rich context or firm conviction.
From ‘Change’ to Confusion
If the word “change” once symbolized hope, then “6-7” now embodies a collective weariness—a linguistic shrug that perfectly captures our contemporary cultural moment. It’s not an act of rebellion against meaning; it’s a profound indifference to it.
Perhaps this is precisely why the phrase “6-7” resonates so deeply. In a society inundated with information yet starved of genuine understanding, the absence of meaning can paradoxically feel comforting. “6-7” provides an escape from constant overanalysis, a convenient way to express nothing when everything feels overwhelming.
Yet, a crucial question persists: If our Word of the Year no longer narrates our collective story, what does that reveal about the narrative we are currently living?
The shift from “change” to “6-7” might not be a mere linguistic happenstance; it could be a poignant commentary on ourselves, on our communication styles, and on the blurring lines between genuine connection and mere noise.