Source: Tim Boyle / Getty
The Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is “authentic.”
The choice reflects a “crisis of authenticity” in an age of deepfakes and post-truth.
The word saw increased interest throughout the year, with people valuing authenticity even more as they questioned it.
“We see in 2023 a kind of crisis of authenticity,” an editor at large Peter Sokolowski told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview. “What we realize is that when we question authenticity, we value it even more.”
The runners-up for word of the year included “X,” “EGOT,” “Elemental,” “RIZZ,” “KIBBUTZ,” “IMPLODE,” “DEADNAME,” “DOPPELGANGER,” “CORONATION,” “DEEPFAKE,” “DYSTOPIAN,” and “COVENANT.”
The word “authentic” follows last year’s choice of “gaslighting” and marks Merriam-Webster’s 20th anniversary of choosing a top word.
