Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year: Authenticity

Merriam-Webster, America's oldest dictionary, has chosen its word of the year for 2023: "authentic". The dictionary publisher noted a significant increase in online searches for this word throughout the year. The interest in the word was driven by discussions and stories related to artificial intelligence, celebrity culture, identity, and social media. One of the reasons why "authentic" was highly searched is because it has multiple meanings, including "not false or imitation" and "true to one's own personality, spirit, or character". Merriam-Webster acknowledged that defining authenticity is challenging and can be the subject of debate. The popularity of the word grew even more in 2023, as the line between what is real and what is fake became increasingly blurred. The rise of artificial intelligence contributed to this blurred line, as it sparked interest in the authenticity of text, images, and videos. Another top contender for the word of the year was "deepfake", a term used to describe digitally altered videos and photos created using AI. Furthermore, the word "authentic" was promoted by brands, social media influencers, and celebrities, including Elon Musk, who advocates for greater authenticity on social media. Other notable words from 2023 include the internet slang term "rizz", which refers to charisma or romantic appeal, and "indict", which saw a surge in interest following former President Donald Trump's indictment in four separate legal cases. It is worth noting that British influence played a role in the top words of 2023, as evidenced by the high search volume for the word "coronation" after Charles III became the new king in May. In 2022, the word of the year was "gaslighting", a term used to describe psychological manipulation.