The term 'Manchesterism' has been shortlisted for the Collins Word of the Year, after Prime Minister Andy Burnham brought the 19th-century word back into popular use. However, it was 'Mogging' that claimed the top title of Collins Word of the Year 2026.
Manchesterism's Revival
'Manchesterism' originally described the economic movement arguing that markets should be free from government regulation and tariffs. This year, Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the former Mayor for Greater Manchester, used the term during his election campaign to describe a political vision focused on public transport integration and localised decision making across the country.
In May, Mr Burnham said: "Manchesterism is a modern and functional response to the high-inequality, low-growth trap that came from the 1980s drive to over-centralise political power in the Treasury and privatise economic power." He added that the word, in his terms, was the 'creation of a different political culture' that aims to represent the 'polar opposite of the Whitehall and Westminster way'.
Official Definition and Other Contenders
According to the official definition by Collins, Manchesterism is now considered to be a political philosophy, associated with Andy Burnham, which 'involves devolution of power to the regions and seeks to combine economic growth with social progress'.
Other words on the shortlist included 'carspreading' and 'hydration break', notably used during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as well as 'ghost jobs' (roles advertised without any intention of appointing someone) and the fruity and spicy combination of 'fruicy' food and drinks. The 'bixie' haircut, shorter than a bob and longer than a pixie cut, and 'friendslop', a type of low-budget, independently produced video game played among friends, were also included.
Mogging Takes the Prize
'Mogging', a word meaning to outperform or dominate someone, was chosen as Word of the Year following its use by young people, with a reported 210% increase in use this year. Alex Beecroft, MD Collins, said: "The selection of 'mogging' as Collins' Word of the Year shows how each generation leaves its mark on language."
Beecroft added: "It's a great example of how Gen Z and Gen Alpha have adopted a word and turned it into humorous slang, making the language their own and 'mogging' the rest of us!"
Thanks to growing climate concerns, the use of 'firewaves', referring to urban wildfires in short periods of time, was also up, whilst AI fears led to the wider popularity of words like 'P(doom)', the estimate that AI could bring about the collapse of human civilization.
