parasocial
adjective
para·so·cial
ˌper-ə-ˈsō-shəl 
ˌpa-rə-
: relating to or involving a one-sided emotional connection with someone (especially a celebrity or fictional character) whom one does not know personally
… parasocial …—a term coined in 1956 to describe the connection between television viewers and a new class of entertainment personalities, including announcers, game-show hosts and anyone else who spoke in direct address to the camera.—
Jamie Lauren Keiles
Jamie Lauren Keiles"Most of these relationships originate when someone is admired at a distance," says Gayle Stever, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Empire State College/State University of New York who researches parasocial attachment. "Lack of reciprocity is a defining feature." Most occur through media, but they may also form in other settings, like with a professor, pastor, or someone you see around campus, she notes.—Jake Smith
Jake Smith… we all partake in parasocial interactions. We mentally interact with characters we watch on TV, or the characters in books we're reading, or podcasts we listen to.—Shayla Love
Shayla LovePlatforms like Twitter have transformed the nature of parasocial relationships, both intensifying them and making them harder to define, as more celebrities actively interact with fans and share personal information.—Lauren Young
Lauren YoungExamples of parasocial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Just a funny parasocial back-and-forth between some of the most passionate fans in sports and one of the best provocateurs the SEC has seen since Steve Spurrier.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Meanwhile, the increasingly loud online fandom has, depending on your POV, either grown tired of the series doing its female characters of color dirty or lost the plot on their parasocial relationship with Doctor Robby.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
As anxious as Safiyya felt, discussing a murder case in real time—one involving a suspect that everyone had at least a parasocial relationship with—was also kind of thrilling.
—Jennifer Swann, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2026
Roan’s discomfort under the spotlight has previously sparked debate, as the singer has often pushed back against invasive paparazzi and parasocial fans.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Influencer culture encourages one-sided, parasocial bonds.
—Jennifer Pollitt, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
Her lyrical explorations of navigating a deeply feeling heart earned her a reputation as an indie bard of melancholy and loneliness, and fans, in turn, forged an intense parasocial relationship with her.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
Throughout all of this, GoFundMe has emerged as a social-media hub for fostering the parasocial relationship between fans and public figures.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
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Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Meanwhile, the increasingly loud online fandom has, depending on your POV, either grown tired of the series doing its female characters of color dirty or lost the plot on their parasocial relationship with Doctor Robby.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
As anxious as Safiyya felt, discussing a murder case in real time—one involving a suspect that everyone had at least a parasocial relationship with—was also kind of thrilling.
—Jennifer Swann, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2026
Roan’s discomfort under the spotlight has previously sparked debate, as the singer has often pushed back against invasive paparazzi and parasocial fans.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Influencer culture encourages one-sided, parasocial bonds.
—Jennifer Pollitt, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
Her lyrical explorations of navigating a deeply feeling heart earned her a reputation as an indie bard of melancholy and loneliness, and fans, in turn, forged an intense parasocial relationship with her.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
Throughout all of this, GoFundMe has emerged as a social-media hub for fostering the parasocial relationship between fans and public figures.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Parasocial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parasocial. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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