‘Vibe Coding’ Defined: How 2025’s Word of the Year is Changing Software Development

This year, Collins Dictionary selected a term that is not just a passing fad but one that signals a fundamental revolution in a major industry. “Vibe coding” has been named the 2025 Word of the Year, reflecting the profound impact of artificial intelligence on software development.
The term describes the practice of using AI, particularly large language models, to write computer code based on natural language descriptions, intentions, or “vibes.” Instead of meticulously writing lines of syntax, a developer can now describe a function, and the AI generates the necessary code, making the process faster and more accessible.
This concept was articulated by Andrej Karpathy, a founding engineer at OpenAI and former AI director at Tesla. He coined the term to capture a new era of programming where one can “forget that the code even exists” and focus instead on the creative vision for an application. This shift democratizes coding, potentially opening it up to millions who are not formally trained programmers.
Lexicographers at Collins chose “vibe coding” after observing its explosive growth in usage since February. The 24-billion-word Collins Corpus, which pulls from diverse media sources, showed the term moving from a niche tech concept to a mainstream discussion point about the future of work.
According to Collins’ managing director, Alex Beecroft, the selection “signals a major shift in software development.” It represents the “seamless integration of human creativity and machine intelligence,” changing our very interaction with computers from one of commands to one of conversation.