In an age where forces from AI to Donald Trump have left Americans doubting the truth, US dictionary Merriam-Webster says that 2023’s most looked-up word was “authentic.”
The venerable publisher, whose dictionary is especially popular online, said the trend was driven by people reading and talking about artificial intelligence, celebrity culture, identity and social media.
“Authentic” beat out other contenders such as “deepfake,” “rizz” (young-people speak for charisma) and “coronation” for honors as the word that most often sent people to the dictionary.
“Authentic” has several shades of meaning including “not false or imitation,” and “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character,” Merriam-Webster said.
“Although clearly a desirable quality, authentic is hard to define and subject to debate—two reasons it sends many people to the dictionary,” the publisher said in a news release.
