‘Ampel-Aus’ Named Germany’s 2024 Word of the Year

The term reflects the political impact of the coalition’s collapse and highlights linguistic trends in German society.

The Society for the German Language (GfdS) selected 'Ampel-Aus' as the 2024 Word of the Year, citing its political and societal significance.
The term refers to the breakup of Germany's 'Ampel' coalition government, comprising the SPD, Greens, and FDP, which ended in November 2024.
The GfdS highlighted the linguistic appeal of 'Ampel-Aus,' noting its alliteration and the novel use of 'aus' as a noun.
Other top words of 2024 include 'Klimaschönfärberei' (climate embellishment) in second place and 'kriegstüchtig' (war-ready) in third, reflecting key political and social debates.
The GfdS has chosen Words of the Year since 1971 to capture the linguistic and cultural essence of each year without endorsing the selected terms.