The Treccani Italian Encyclopedia Institute has chosen “trust” as the word of the year for 2025 due to its relevance and social relevance, especially among young people. The well-known dictionary defines the word as “the attitude of calm security that arises from a positive evaluation of a person or a group of people, towards others or themselves”, and adds:
It is an ancient word, inherited from Latin, and developed in the medieval tradition. Trust – fides, fidelitas – is one of the most recurring terms when talking about trust, confidence, fidelity, faith, responsibility and hope in the future: “fiducia erecti et confirmati”, in trust built and confirmed, writes Adam Scotus.
The word was not chosen by chance: in addition to the fact that it is one of the most clicked words of the year on the site, it is also the one with the highest percentage increase in searches compared to 2024, a search that comes mainly from younger people. In a year full of geopolitical and social uncertainties, trust “emerges as an essential response to the widespread need to look to the future with positive expectations”. Quoting Treccani:
This desire is based on the strength of human relationships: to develop solid, reliable and lasting bonds not only between individuals, but also between citizens and institutions.
“Trust” therefore takes on different shades of meaning, but always represents an essential concept in human experience, because it manifests itself both on a personal level (self-confidence) and in broader contexts (trust in others, in the community, in society).
Treccani invites us to consider it not only as a feeling, but as a daily practice to live well together.
