Word of the Year 2023
Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2023 is one that saw an increase in searches this year – in a world where it's sometimes hard to tell what is fake and what is real online. The word they chose for 2023 is "authentic".
"Authentic" isn't a new, trendy word like "rizz," which was also considered for word of the year. Merriam-Webster said "authentic" has a high volume of look-ups most years, but it saw a substantial increase in 2023.
The dictionary says stories about things like AI and social media drove people to look up the word, which it defines as: "not false or imitation" and "true to one's own personality, spirit, or character" and a synonym of "real" and "actual".
Deepfakes – images and videos that appear real but are generated by AI – made headlines this year and AI technology like ChatGPT became popular for everything from generating responses to emails to writing college papers. So, authenticity was top of mind.
Merriam-Webster also considered "deepfake" for the word of the year.
"Rizz," believed to originate from the term "charismatic," has been officially added to the dictionary this year and was also considered as a potential word of the year. The word gained popularity on social media platforms like TikTok, but Kai Cenat, a YouTuber who is credited with coining the term, stated that it means "game" or being suave, and it was created by his group of friends.
Several of the words in contention for the title are derived from significant news events that captivated us in 2023, such as "coronation." This word was frequently used this year when King Charles III was officially crowned as the monarch of the United Kingdom. "Coronation" is a synonym for crowning.
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in Britain's history, passed away in September 2022. Although Charles became king upon her death, the official ceremony took place in May, leading to a surge in searches for the term "coronation."
Another term that experienced a spike in usage was "dystopian," due to a series of global events. When wildfire smoke from Canada spread to the East Coast and other parts of the United States, causing the sky to turn a hazy orange and giving city streets a Martian-like appearance, many described the eerie scene as "dystopian" – defined as "of, relating to, or being an imagined world or society in which people lead dehumanized, fearful lives" according to the dictionary.
Viola Davis achieved an impressive feat in February by completing her EGOT, which stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony. These four prestigious entertainment awards are notoriously difficult to earn, but Davis managed to win a Grammy, causing the term "EGOT" to gain popularity.
In 2023, two major events led to an increased interest in the words "implode" and "indict."
In June, a submersible carrying five people to the Titanic wreckage vanished and was later discovered to have imploded, collapsing inward.
Additionally, former President Donald Trump faced indictment in four separate cases, sparking curiosity about the meaning of the word. According to the dictionary, "indict" refers to charging someone with a crime based on the findings or presentation of a jury, such as a grand jury, in accordance with the law.
Other words considered for the word of the year include "X," the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which gained attention and controversy after being fully acquired by Elon Musk. Another contender was "elemental," meaning any of the four substances (air, water, fire, and earth) that were once believed to compose the physical universe. This word gained popularity due to its association with the Disney movie of the same name.
