Italy's leading dictionary and encyclopedia publisher, the Treccani Institute brings out an annual list of neologisms, or new words, which capture the year gone by.
This year, many reflect international politics and conflicts, with pro-Pal (pro-Palestinian), sumud (Palestinian resilience), and controdazio (retaliatory tariff) making the list.
Other terms are Italianised versions of English-language terms used to describe international issues, such as droga degli zombie (zombie drug) or rifugio climatico (climate refuge).
Pop culture and current affairs feature heavily, with the English term keybox growing in usage amid Italy's overtourism battles and la qualunque (whatever/any old thing), immortalised by comedian Antonio Albanese's character Cetto La Qualunque.
"I think it's interesting that these words have entered media language," Marcello Sorgi, director of the Treccani Year Book, told Sky TG24.
"We've tried to tell the story of a complex year with depth and thoroughness, thanks to the solid professional foundation of the Treccani Encyclopedia."
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The words will not necessarily be new entries in the Italian dictionary.
"The neologisms selected for the Treccani Year Book are a snapshot of episodes from 2025 and won't necessarily make it into future dictionary editions," the institute's language observatory explained.
"Our work is limited to identifying those words which, during 2025, had the greatest relevance in common usage or in the press, and only time will tell if they remain forever."
Here are all the new words, which are published in Treccani’s Year Book (Libro dell’anno 2025).
Affidopoli: the scandal of alleged improper direct awarding of public contracts.
Allucinazione dell'intelligenza artificiale (AI hallucination): incorrect information produced by an artificial intelligence system.
Brandmauer (firewall): from Germany, where it describes the political isolation of far-right forces with Nazi traditions or inspiration.
Broligarchia (broligarchy): the restricted circle of rich and powerful men, typically tech industry leaders, who influence or attempt to influence political decisions and government choices.
Bullismo economico (economic bullying): action of oppression exercised with the intent to impose unfavourable conditions on other economic or financial actors.
Controdazio (counter-tariff): a tariff imposed as retaliation for tariffs or other trade barriers from another country.
Cryptogate: scandal linked to the issuing of cryptocurrencies.
Droga degli zombie (zombie drug): a term for the medicine Fentanyl, an opioid painkiller sold illegally and used as a powerful drug.
Ingiocabile (unplayable): said of an athlete or team so strong you can't compete against them, unbeatable. A tribute to tennis champion Jannik Sinner.
Keybox: key safe with combination lock for short-term rental check-ins. They’ve become a symbol of overtourism in Italy with frequent news reports on the changing rules over their legality in 2025.
Kiss cam: stadium camera that films couples kissing. Entered Italian after an infamous controversy at a Coldplay concert in Rome sparked debate about consent.
La qualunque (any old thing): something random or mediocre said carelessly. From comedian Antonio Albanese's satirical character Cetto La Qualunque, a corrupt Calabrian politician whose surname literally means 'Mr Whatever.'
Maranza: originally a Milanese slang word used to describe gangs of rowdy young people known for showing off and picking fights, popularised amid a growing phenomenon inspired by TikTok videos. The term has surged in media coverage and political discussions of youth crime in 2025.
Metatelefono (meta-phone): a transparent plastic rectangle similar to a mobile phone, but fake.
Nudificazione (nudification): abusive and illegal creation of fake nude images, mostly of women. Related to the major scandal this year involving the discovery of stolen and faked images of thousands of women, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Pro-Pal: someone who supports the political cause of the Palestinian people.
Rifugio climatico (climate refuge): a public or private place able to offer refuge from extreme temperatures.
Romantasy: genre of fiction that weaves together passionate love stories and typical themes of adventurous fantasy.
Sumud: resilience, resistance, hope for the future, solidarity, understood as cultural and political values of Palestinians who intend to remain in the land where they live. Popularised by reports of the Sumud Flotilla in 2025.
Tornanza: returning to one's place of origin. Describes Italians who left small towns (particularly in the south) for cities or abroad, then return to revitalise their communities. Repatriations from abroad more than doubled between 2012 and 2022, accelerating after Covid enabled remote work.
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