ISTANBUL The Cambridge Dictionary has chosen "parasocial" as its word of the year for 2025, which refers to a connection that people feel with someone they do not know. It spotlights the interest in one-sided parasocial relationships that people form with celebrities, influencers, and AI chatbots. The term was defined by sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl, who observed television viewers engaged in “parasocial” relationships with on-screen personalities that were similar to those they