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As a computer term, to "unfriend" means to remove someone from your list of contacts on a social networking website. This action severs the online connection between two users, though the specifics of what happens afterward can vary by platform.

Context and origin

Social media lexicon: The word gained popularity with the rise of social networks like Facebook and MySpace in the 2000s. The term was recognized for its newness and significance in 2009, when the New Oxford American Dictionary named it the Word of the Year.

Verbification of a noun: A contributing factor to the term's novelty was the coining of a new verb from a common noun ("friend").

Alternatives: While "unfriend" became the standard, early social media users also debated using "defriend".

The consequences of unfriending. On most platforms, unfriending a user results in the following changes: You no longer appear on that person's "friends" list, and they are removed from yours. You will no longer see their posts in your newsfeed. The unfriended person will typically not receive a notification.