In an age where deepfakes and post-truth narratives dominate, the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is "authentic." In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, editor at large Peter Sokolowski revealed that the word “authentic” garnered high search numbers on the dictionary company's website throughout the year. Sokolowski identified a "crisis of authenticity" in 2023, stating that questioning authenticity only serves to highlight its value.

The increased interest in “authentic” can be attributed to various factors. One significant event was the rise of artificial intelligence, with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, facing a leadership crisis. Public figures such as Taylor Swift and Prince Harry also sought authenticity in their words and actions. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, during the World Government Summit in Dubai, urged leaders to "speak authentically" on social media by personally maintaining their accounts. Sokolowski noted that trust has become a major concern, as people question the authenticity of written documents and statements, even doubting their own senses.

Merriam-Webster's definition of “authentic” encompasses multiple meanings. It refers to something that is not false or imitation but real and genuine, like an authentic cockney accent. It also signifies being true to one's own personality, spirit, or character. Moreover, it implies conforming to or based on fact, making it worthy of acceptance or belief. Additionally, it can mean replicating essential features of an original.

“Authentic” follows last year's word of the year, "gaslighting," which reflects the influence of manipulative tactics in contemporary society. Merriam-Webster's word selection process involves analyzing lookup spikes and their correlation with world events. The company excludes perennial high-traffic words like “love” and “effect” to focus on more specific trends. This year, they also filtered out numerous five-letter words due to their popularity among Wordle and Quordle players.

While “authentic” claimed the top spot, Merriam-Webster's runners-up for the word of the year also attracted substantial attention. “X” saw a surge in lookups after Elon Musk's rebranding of Twitter. “EGOT” experienced increased interest after Viola Davis achieved the rare quadruple-award status with a Grammy. The title of Pixar's new film, "Elemental," sparked curiosity, leading to a spike in lookups. Other notable words include "RIZZ," meaning romantic appeal or charm, "KIBBUTZ," in reference to communal farms or settlements in Israel, "IMPLODE," describing a burst inward, and "DEADNAME," the name a transgender person no longer uses upon transitioning.

"DOPPELGANGER," meaning a double or alter ego, garnered attention due to Naomi Klein's book titled "Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World." The word became relevant as Klein shared her experience of being confused with Naomi Wolf, a feminist author and conspiracy theorist. “CORONATION” saw a massive surge in searches when King Charles III was crowned on May 6. “DEEPFAKE” piqued interest following Elon Musk's lawyers mentioning his frequent appearance in manipulated videos. “DYSTOPIAN” gained traction due to climate-related concerns and popular entertainment. Lastly, “COVENANT” experienced a significant increase in lookups after a deadly mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. The word also gained attention through the release of "Guy Ritchie's The Covenant" and Abraham Verghese's novel, "The Covenant of Water," which was selected for Oprah Winfrey's book club.

Overall, the choice of “authentic” as the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 reflects society's growing need for genuine experiences and trust in a world rife with artificiality and misinformation.