A gender-neutral bathroom is seen at the University of California, Irvine in Irvine, California, September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson In a year that saw “manbun,” “dadbod,” and “trigger warning” creep into our daily vocabularies, it was a simple pronoun that was deemed the most notable word of them all.

"They" has been named 2015’s Word of the Year.

More than 300 linguists, lexicographers and grammarians voted on the award Friday at the American Dialect Society's annual conference, held this year in Washington, D.C.

The word "they" was selected for the considerable traction it gained in 2015 as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun.

English speakers have used "they" and "their" for centuries to refer to someone of unknown gender, like in the sentence "Everyone does their best."

However, more recently, the usage of the pronoun has expanded to include people who choose to identify outside the traditional gender binary.

"There has been a lot of discussion lately about pronouns and people taking on their own pronouns, making that a matter of choice," said Ben Zimmer, chair of the American Dialect Society's new words committee, in an interview with Business Insider.

"That’s an interesting development that singular 'they' is in the middle of."

"It does say something about the way people are exploring gender and sexual identity, and perhaps a greater openness to accepting new ways of expressing that identity through language."

Zimmer pointed to various news outlets that have broadened their linguistic standards in recent months. In November, The New York Times used the honorific "Mx." as an alternative to "Mr." or "Ms." when a subject "preferred not to be assigned a gender."

And a week later, The Washington Post added "they" to their style guide to accommodate "people who identify as neither male nor female."

Ben Zimmer BenZimmer.com For Zimmer, these changes epitomize the evolution of language.

"It moves beyond the traditional binary of he and she," Zimmer told Business Insider.

"It feels like an opening up of the language, allowing for a greater possibility of what these pronouns can refer to."

In another Word of the Year category, "manbun" — defined as a man's hairstyle pulled up in a bun — won Most Unnecessary.

Meanwhile, the honor of Most Euphemistic went to "Netflix and chill" — "the sexual come-on masked as a suggestion to watch Netflix and relax."

"Schlong," a word that has a dubious history as a verb and was invoked by Donald Trump at a December campaign rally, lost to "f---boi" in a runoff for Most Shocking.

The American Dialect Society has held the Word of the Year vote since 1991. Previous winners include "occupy" in 2011, "metrosexual" in 2003 and "chad" in 2000. Last year's winner, #BlackLivesMatter, was the first time a hashtag won the vote.

Here's the full list of 2015's winners and nominees (winners in bold):

Word of the Year

Ammosexual: firearm enthusiast.

Ghost: (verb) abruptly end a relationship by cutting off communication, in person or online.

"On fleek": excellent, impeccable, “on point.”

"Thanks, Obama": sarcastic expression in which a person pretends to blame Barack Obama for a problem.

*They: gender-neutral singular pronoun for a known person, as a non-binary identifier.

Most Useful

"Mic drop": definitive end to a discussion after making an impressive point.

Microaggression: subtle form of racism or bias.

Shade: insult, criticism or disrespect, shown in a subtle or clever manner.

*They: gender-neutral singular pronoun for a known person, as a non-binary identifier.

"Zero f---- given," ZFG: indication of supreme indifference.

Most Creative

Adult: (verb) behave like a grownup.

*Ammosexual: firearm enthusiast.

Lowkey: (adverb) to a small extent, in a subtle manner; opposite of highkey.

Squad: one’s posse or close circle of friends.

Yass, yaass, yaaass, etc.: expression of excitement, approval or strong agreement.

Most Unnecessary

A "manbun" hairstyle AP/Robb D. Cohen Dadbod: flabby physique of a typical dad.

*Manbun: man’s hairstyle pulled up in a bun.

"Or nah": question tag expressing that something may not occur.

"Trigger warning": alert for potentially distressing material.

"Thanks, Obama": sarcastic expression in which a person pretends to blame Barack Obama for a problem.

Most Outrageous

"Fish gape": posed expression with cheeks sucked in and lips slightly apart.

*f---boy, f---boi: derogatory term for a man who behaves objectionably or promiscuously.

Schlong: (verb) defeat soundly.

Sharewashing: deceptive marketing by companies treating services as “sharing.”

"White student union": campus organization organized in response to a black student union.

Most Euphemistic

Af, asf: intensifier after an adjective (“as f---”).

Lit: amazing, exciting or fun.

*"Netflix and chill": sexual come-on masked as a suggestion to watch Netflix and relax.

"Swipe right/left": accept or reject (based on gestures used on Tinder dating app).

Most Likely to Succeed

CRISPR: gene-editing technology allowing biologists to alter and control DNA sequences.

*Ghost: (verb) abruptly end a relationship by cutting off communication, in person or online.

Mom: admiring term of address for a woman seen by younger women as a mother figure.

"On fleek": excellent, impeccable, “on point.”

Least Likely to Succeed

Berniementum: momentum behind the candidacy of Bernie Sanders.

Hoverboard: self-balancing motorized skateboard.

*Sitbit: device that rewards sedentary lifestyle (play on Fitbit fitness tracker).

"Uber for X": pitch used by startups seeking to emulate Uber in different tech sectors.

Most Notable Hashtag

The hashtag #SayHerName was used in 2015 to call attention to violence against black women. Flickr/Bosc d'Anjou #JeSuisParis: expression of solidarity after the Paris terror attacks.

#LoveWins: celebration of Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage.

*#SayHerName: call to bring attention to police violence against black women.

#StayMadAbby: ridiculing plaintiff in University of Texas affirmative action case.

#StayWoke: exhortation to remain vigilant and informed (used by #BlackLivesMatter movement).

Most Notable Emoji

😍: heart eyes (romantic, passionate)



😉: winking face (humorous, flirtatious)



💁: information desk person (sassy, sarcastic)



*🍆: eggplant (male genitalia, sexual innuendo)



💯: 100 (“keep it 100,” “keep it real”)