The Word Metaverse has been selected for the Oxford Word of the Year 2022. For the first time, voting is open for the word “metaverse,” ‘Metaverse’ is now among the top three candidates for the Oxford Word of the Year. Metaverse in Oxford Dictionary does not seem to be a far sight. The Oxford Word of the Year competition is run by the Oxford University Press(OUP), which also publishes the Oxford English Dictionary. The term “metaverse” was first used by American author Neal Stephenson in his science fiction book “Snow Crash” in 1992, and it has since captivated people’s interest as a technological marvel that may be used in many different economic areas. Metaverse is everywhere now.

The Metaverse is a “virtual reality environment in which users can interact with one another’s avatar in an immersive way,” according to the Oxford University Press. Metaverse, #IStandWith, and Goblin Mode are the three finalist words or concepts for 2022, according to Oxford University Press. #IStandWith “recognises the activism and divisiveness that have marked this year,” according to Oxford University Press, which also defined “Goblin mode” as “the idea of defying societal expectations set upon us, in favour of doing whatever one wants to.”

The world’s largest publisher has also observed a four-fold increase in usage in October 2022 compared to the same time last year. Usage of this word has increased four times in October 2022, according to a statement made by Oxford University Press. For the first time in the award’s history, the public will select the Oxford Word of the Year. Voting will be open to the general public until December 2, and the winner will be declared on December 5.

Oxford explained how they selected the three phrases by doing an analysis on a language data system to eliminate the other alternatives. To cast a vote for “Metaverse” or either of the other two contenders, voters must do so on the Oxford Languages website. More than 3,23,000 votes have been cast as of now.

The definition of a “metaverse” is still somewhat unclear, although many online games have begun to call themselves “metaverse experiences” without much explanation. One school of thinking holds that it ought to resemble a decentralised, interoperable version of the web 3.0. Another idea is that components of the real world ought to be included in a metaverse. Some people think that both are necessary. The first metaverse influencer, “Kyra,” the first metaverse wedding, and the first culinary metaverse, “OneRare,” have all taken place in India.

A recent Deloitte survey indicates that India has a greater than usual awareness of the metaverse at 80%. The term “metaverse” has gained popularity and is gradually taking root in people’s minds. The choice of the Word of the Year can now be made by the general public for the first time. Over 280,000 votes have been cast as of this writing. And the day is not far when “MetaVerse” has already made its way to the Oxford Dictionary.