“Combustível” (fuel), “chat” and “drones” are among the 10 finalists for Portugal’s 2026 Word of the Year, a competition organized by Porto Editora. The list also includes “eclipse,” “estreito” (strait), “exames” (exams), “farmar,” “habitação” (housing), “tempestades” (storms) and “volta.”
According to Porto Editora, the selection reflects events, trends and concerns that shaped the country’s current affairs. The finalists were chosen from thousands of public suggestions, dictionary searches on Infopédia and topics that stood out in the media and on social networks during the year.
“Combustível” was included following successive fuel price increases that placed additional pressure on households and businesses. “Chat” reflects the widespread use of the term for systems capable of answering questions and assisting with different tasks, while “drones” refers to their intensive use in conflicts that escalated during the year.
The inclusion of “eclipse” is linked to the phenomenon observed in Portugal in August, which generated broad public interest. “Estreito” was selected in connection with the economic impact of restrictions on navigation through the Straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
“Exames” refers to the national exams whose marking was carried out exclusively in digital form this year. Porto Editora said technical difficulties affecting the digitalization process placed the issue at the center of public attention.
“Farmar,” a term originating in video games, gained popularity among young people through expressions such as “farmar aura,” referring to efforts to gain recognition and charisma. “Habitação” reflects growing difficulties in accessing housing, which led to demonstrations across the country, while “tempestades” refers to storms recorded in several regions and associated with extreme weather events.
Finally, “volta” comes from the packaging recycling system introduced this year, which prompted debate about its practical application and public health-related issues.
Online voting is available at www.palavradoano.pt until November 30. The winning word will be announced on December 3. Porto Editora held the first edition of the competition in 2009, when “esmiuçar” was chosen. Last year’s winner was “apagão.”
Sources: Observador.