word
Situationship
A romantic or sexual involvement that no one wants to label.
Origin
The portmanteau (situation + relationship) emerged on dating blogs and social media in the early 2010s and entered Merriam-Webster's dictionary in 2023. It names a specifically modern phenomenon: extended ambiguity made possible by texting, dating apps, and the social acceptability of not defining things.
Modern usage
Standard vocabulary in dating discussions. Carries a mild edge โ 'I'm in a situationship' is usually said with some resignation.
In the wild
Six months in and still calling it a situationship.โ common usage
Tags
dating
ambiguity
modern