Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year is ‘Authentic’: Here’s Why

In an era when the demarcation between real and artificial is getting thinner and thinner, becoming almost invisible, the world seems to have rediscovered the value of authenticity. Not surprisingly, then, ‘Authentic‘ was officially unveiled as Merriam-Webster’s word of the year.

A “substantial increase” in searches for the meaning of the word was observed in 2023, the online dictionary’s editor at large Peter Sokolowski told The Associated Press, attributing this to “stories and conversations about AI, celebrity culture, identity, and social media”,

“Authentic” may actually imply several things, such as “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character” or “not false or imitation,” which is another way of saying genuine and actual. The difficulty to define it conclusively might be exactly the reason why many people mistake it for something else and consult a dictionary, according to a news release from Merriam-Webster.

The increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence has caused a blurring of the boundaries between actual reality and virtual reality, prompting celebrities, corporations, and social media influencers to demonstrate their authenticity.

The word was notably used by celebrities like Lainey Wilson, Sam Smith, and Taylor Swift – who have all made headlines this year with declarations about pursuing their “authentic voice” and “authentic self”. Elon Musk, who has advocated for people to be more “authentic” on social media, is another admirer.

“Can we trust whether a student wrote this paper? Can we trust whether a politician made this statement? We don’t always trust what we see anymore,” Sokolowski told the AP. “We sometimes don’t believe our own eyes or our own ears. We are now recognizing that authenticity is a performance itself.”

This year marks Merriam-Webster’s 20th anniversary of selecting a top word. “Gaslighting” was the word of the year in 2022.

Other popular phrases and words for 2023 were: