'Authentic' has been named as Merriam-Webster's word of the year.
The dictionary publisher, which is America's oldest, says the word 'authentic' saw a "substantial increase" in online searches in 2023.
It's defined as "not false or imitation" and "true to one's own personality, spirit, or character".
It says the increased interest in the word was "driven by stories and conversations about AI, celebrity culture, identity, and social media".
'Authentic' is Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year!
Genuinely.
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) November 27, 2023
The dictionary also gave details of other words that stood out in its 2023 online search data:
| Meaning | |
| Rizz | romantic appeal or charm |
| Deepfake | an image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said |
| Implode | to burst inward |
| Dystopian | of, relating to, or being an imagined world or society in which people lead dehumanized, fearful lives : relating to or characteristic of a dystopia |
| EGOT | the accomplishment of winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award in one's lifetime |
| X | Rebranded name for Twitter |
| Indict | to charge with a crime by the finding or presentment of a jury (such as a grand jury) in due form of law |
