History of LOL in Timeline

LOL, an initialism for 'laughing out loud,' is a prevalent element of Internet slang used to express amusement, irony, or hidden meanings. Initially used primarily on Usenet, its usage has broadened to encompass various forms of computer-mediated communication and even in-person conversations. LOL represents one of many initialisms designed to convey physical reactions, specifically laughter, through text. Other related initialisms, like LMAO and ROFL, denote more intense expressions of laughter.

May 8, 1989: LOL Mentioned in FidoNews

On May 8, 1989, LOL was mentioned in a list of common online acronyms in the electronic newsletter FidoNews.

2003: College Students' Use of Initialisms Study

In 2003, a study of college students by Naomi Baron found lower than expected use of initialisms in computer-mediated communication; LOL appeared 76 times out of 2,185 transmissions.

2003: Acronyms Grow and are Collected

In 2003, the list of acronyms was growing, and they were being collected with emoticons into folk dictionaries circulated among users of Usenet, IRC, and other forms of computer-mediated communication.

March 2011: LOL Listed in Oxford English Dictionary

In March 2011, the Oxford English Dictionary included LOL in its listings.

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

On March 24, 2011, LOL was formally recognized in an update to the Oxford English Dictionary. The research determined that the earliest use of LOL was for "little old lady" in the 1960s.