History of LOL in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 21, 2026

LOL, short for "laughing out loud," is a widely used Internet slang acronym. Primarily used to express amusement, it can also convey irony or double meanings. Originating on Usenet, its use has expanded to various forms of digital and even spoken communication. LOL belongs to a family of acronyms expressing bodily reactions, especially laughter, in text, including variations like LMAO and ROFL for more emphatic expressions.

May 8, 1989: Earliest Recorded Mention of LOL

On May 8, 1989, the earliest recorded mention of LOL in the contemporary meaning of "Laughing Out Loud" was made in a list of common online acronyms on the electronic newsletter FidoNews, according to the Oxford English Dictionary and linguist Ben Zimmer.

2003: Study on Initialisms in Computer-Mediated Communication

In 2003, a study of college students by Naomi Baron found that the use of initialisms in computer-mediated communication (CMC), specifically in instant messaging, was actually lower than she had expected. The students used few abbreviations, acronyms, and emoticons.

2003: Acronyms Grow and Circulate Informally

In 2003, the list of acronyms was said to grow, and they were collected into folk dictionaries circulated informally amongst users of Usenet, IRC, and other forms of computer-mediated communication. These acronyms were controversial, and their use was discouraged in specific contexts. Also a 2003 study of college students by Naomi Baron found that the use of initialisms in computer-mediated communication (CMC), specifically in instant messaging, was actually lower than she had expected.

March 2011: LOL Listed in Oxford English Dictionary

In March 2011, LOL was first listed in the Oxford English Dictionary.

March 24, 2011: LOL Formally Recognized in Oxford English Dictionary Update

On March 24, 2011, LOL, along with other acronyms, was formally recognized in an update of the Oxford English Dictionary. The research determined that the earliest recorded use of LOL as an initialism was for "little old lady" in the 1960s.