The Racist Word of the Year isn’t one you’d expect

‘Ordinary’ has emerged as the Racist Word of the Year 2025. This follows analysis of the language used by far-right figures including Tommy Robinson and Katie Hopkins.

Other words that made the shortlist include ‘invasion,’ ‘illegal’ and ‘traitor’.

Racist tropes

‘Ordinary’ supports racist tropes specifically when it’s used as a synonym for ‘white British’. It indicates the false exclusion of migrants and people of colour from the ‘ordinary’ population.

This reflects how far-right figures have positioned themselves as speaking for the ‘ordinary’ man or woman. And they’re reaching mainstream audiences, which are NOT necessarily racist or even right-wing.

Language research experts Reframing Race examined the rhetoric of the UK hard-right figures with the biggest online followings, including Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson and Katie Hopkins.

The Reframing Race research revealed a shortlist of the most commonly used and impactful racialised language.

A panel of experts on racism and language then selected ‘Ordinary’ from among them as the Racist Word of the Year 2025.

You can still say it, obviously

To be clear: Reframing Race is NOT saying we should stop using ‘ordinary’, or any other word from the research.

The purpose of this work is to understand and show how those with racist intentions can use language for their own purposes.

Reframing Race Director Dr Sanjiv Lingayah said:

Racism relies on a nonsense categorisation of humans invented to separate out those who belong and those who do not; those who are deserving versus those deemed unworthy of care, consideration and dignity.

The use of ‘ordinary’ to describe only a certain form of white Britishness is a clever and subtle xenophobic and racist way of saying that anyone outside of this category cannot belong and should be a target.

Why choose ‘ordinary’?

Racism: it is used in support of the fundamentally racist idea that there is a hierarchy of human beings, with white (in this case, ‘ordinary’) people at the top.

Frequency: the research identified it as one of the most commonly used words by the most popular far-right voices as an attempt to make racist ideology seem normal and acceptable.

Novelty: its usage to support racist ideas has not yet been widely identified. Meanwhile its adoption and co-option by the far-right is rising.

Saliency: mainstream politicians are using the word ‘ordinary’ without understanding how the radical right has co-opted it to stoke racist division.

Who chose it?

A panel of experts includes leaders, researchers and policy experts. They work in the fields of anti-racism, language and messaging, research and journalism.

Reframing Race recommends claiming ‘ordinary’ back from the far-right. Mainstream politicians must make it clear that their usage of the word is inclusive of all our population. And that it embraces our shared humanity.

Reframing Race has been analysing the role of language in steering racism and anti-racism for 6 years. All its research is freely available and is a comprehensive learning resource for anti-racist advocates who want to ensure that their words have impact.

Other insights from the analysis of far-right discourse

Far‑right rhetoric consistently revolves around migration as an ‘invasion’. It evokes the supposed endangerment of ‘women and girls’, and the loss of traditional cultural or Christian values.

Communicators use words like ‘ordinary’, ‘protect’, and ‘Christianity’ in narratives that link immigration to crime, cultural decline, and threats to family safety.

Once confined to fringe spaces, these narratives are increasingly shaping mainstream political conversations and policy debates.

Featured image via the Canary