Nov 19, 2013 11:09 AM EST
Oxford Word of The Year is ‘Selfie’ Thanks to Social Media Sites Twitter, Instagram

Oxford Dictionaries has named Selfie the global Word of the Year for 2013.

The word is commonly used when sharing a picture of yourself on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and millions of people are using it every day.

The dictionaries' publishers believe the word was first used in an Australian chat room on Sept. 12, 2002, to describe an unpleasant scene, according to CNN.

The post reads: "Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped ofer and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps, I had a hole about 1cm long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie."

Oxford also said in a statement it doesn't matter if you spell the word with a "selfie" or "selfy" as well, it doesn't change the official definition, according to the Associated Press.

The official Oxford definition for the word is "a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website."

The hastag #selfie first appeared on the photo-sharing website Flickr back in 2004, according to Judy Pearsall, the editorial director for Oxford Dictionaries.

"But usage wasn't widespread until around 2012, when 'selfie' was being used commonly in mainstream media," Pearsall said.

Oxford usually determines specific words of the year for the U.S. and to the U.K., but deemed "selfie" the best word for both sides of the Atlantic in 2013.

Famous selfies posted online include ones from Anthony Weiner, Geraldo, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton.

"Selfie" was officially added to the online version of the Oxford dictionary in August and might be added to the official Oxford English Dictionary sometime next year, according to AP.

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