Unfriend – verb) meaning to delete someone from Facebook so that you are no longer connected with them.
The term ‘unfriend’ is now an official word, at least according to the American dictionary. The verb has also been voted as the new word of the year for 2009, which probably says more about society than anything else.
In the real world your friends are supposed to last a lifetime, on social networking websites you can add and delete them as you see fit, and many people often have a cull of friends who they no longer wish to speak to.
‘Unfriend’ wasn’t the only technology related new word to be added to the American dictionary this year. ‘Sexting’ also made an appearance, which is the practice of sending sexual texts to people via your mobile, and is a common practice among teenagers.
Christine Lindberg researches languages for the US dictionary, she said about ‘unfriend’:
In the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for Word of the Year.
Have you unfreinded anyone lately?
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