Runner-up: גבורה. In third place: הותר לפרסום. The most suggested word, הפקרה, was disqualified to avoid “political clashes.” Other rejected words included עסקה, מחדל, תקומה, and ניצחון מוחלט.
The Academy of the Hebrew Language announced in January 2025 that the word of the year, chosen in honor of Hebrew Language Day, is חטופים. The public overwhelmingly voted for it, with 45% selecting it in the Academy’s annual competition, held every year on the birthday of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. The word גבורה took second place, while הותר לפרסום ranked third. The total number of voters exceeded 13,000, all choosing from a list of ten finalist words.
The Academy explained its selection by stating:
"These days, as we anxiously follow the release of the חטופים and desperately hope for their return from Hamas captivity in Gaza, the public overwhelmingly voted for this word.”
The definition provided by the Academy emphasized its historical evolution:
"The word חָטוּף refers to a person who has been suddenly and forcibly taken by strangers, often with malicious intent, sometimes as a bargaining tool for gain. The classical Hebrew texts primarily used the words שבוי (prisoner of war), אסור, or אסיר (captive) to describe someone taken by an enemy. The modern era introduced חטוף as a common term in such contexts, particularly for cases where an individual is forcibly deprived of their freedom.”
Heroism and Strength: גבורה
The Academy described גבורה as a term signifying strength, resilience, and courage. The biblical usage often referred to military might, as in David’s lament for Saul and Jonathan:
"הַצְּבִי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל בָּמוֹתֶיךָ חָלָל, אֵיךְ נָפְלוּ גִבּוֹרִים""Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights! How the mighty have fallen!" (2 Samuel 1:19)
The Mishnah expanded the meaning of גבורה beyond physical power to include self-discipline:
"אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר? הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ""Who is mighty? One who conquers their own desires."
Today, the word גבורה describes both physical strength and moral bravery, making it especially relevant in times of national crisis.
A Phrase That Defined the Year: הותר לפרסום
The Academy highlighted הותר לפרסום as a phrase that dominated news headlines, appearing frequently whenever classified information related to the war, hostage rescues, or national security updates was made public. The Academy noted that the phrase "filled newspaper headlines week after week over the past year."
War-Themed Finalists and a Controversial Disqualification
The Academy confirmed that every finalist word related to war and national security. The ten finalists included אחריות, גבורה, הותר לפרסום, חטופים, מילואים, עצימות, כטב"ם, יחד, בית, and כפסע. The Academy decided to cancel the competition last year, instead selecting a "mosaic of words" to reflect the national mood following the events of October 7.
The Academy faced criticism after excluding הפקרה from the competition, despite it being the most suggested word during the nomination phase. The Academy justified this decision by stating that it aimed to "avoid political clashes" and did not want the competition to become a battleground for political debates. The Academy claimed that the overwhelming number of suggestions for הפקרה resulted from a "coordinated campaign on social media."
The words עסקה and מחדל were also excluded, despite public support. The Academy revealed that additional words, including תקומה, ניצחון מוחלט, and הפיכה, were proposed but did not make the final list.
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