Merriam-Webster's 2023 Word of the Year: Be Authentic

Merriam-Webster has announced "authentic" as its word of the year for 2023, reflecting a societal crisis of authenticity in an age of deepfakes and post-truth. The increased interest in the word throughout the year signifies a growing recognition and value placed on authenticity. Other notable words that attracted unusual traffic include "X" (after Elon Musk's rebranding of Twitter), "EGOT" (when Viola Davis achieved the rare quadruple-award status), and "Elemental" (from a new Pixar film). The runners-up for word of the year include "RIZZ," "KIBBUTZ," "IMPLODE," "DEADNAME," and "DOPPELGANGER."