The word representing 2023 chosen by dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster is 'Authentic'

Merriam-Webster, a well-known publisher of dictionaries and reference books, has selected ' Authentic ', which means 'genuine' and 'genuine', as the word representing 2023.

Word of the Year 2023 | Authentic | Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster said the choice of ``Authentic'' shows that we are thinking, writing, aiming, and judging more than ever before.

The search volume for 'Authentic' has been increasing in recent years in relation to AI, celebrity culture, identity, social media, etc., and it is said that the search volume for 'Authentic' has increased significantly in 2023.

Specific examples of 'authentic' being used include meals and cooking, but singers Rainie Wilson, Sam Smith, and Taylor Swift have made statements calling for an 'authentic voice' and 'authentic self.' It has become a hot topic. Merriam-Webster also points out that in recent years, the line between 'real' and 'fake' has become blurred due to the development of AI.

In addition, Merriam-Webster has picked up several other notable words that will see an increase in search numbers in 2023.

・Rizz
'Rizz' is a word used by YouTuber Kai Cenat to mean 'romantic charm or appeal,' and when it was added to the dictionary in September 2023, it rose to the top of the number of searches. In addition, it is sometimes interpreted as a word created by playing 'charisma', and although Mr. Canat denies it, other etymology has not been confirmed.

・Deepfake
``Deepfake'' is ``an image or record that has been manipulated to make it appear more convincing in order to make it appear as if something that actually happened did not actually exist.'' From late April to early May 2023, a lawyer for Elon Musk, known as the owner of Twitter and the CEO of Tesla, stated that ``some of Mr. Musk's statements may be deepfakes.'' attracted attention.

・Coronation
``Coronation'' is the literal act of placing a crown on the head of a monarch, and the word's popularity has skyrocketed with the coronation ceremony of the new King of England, Charles III, in May 2023. In addition to literal cases, it can also be used figuratively to refer to holding an important position or position.

・Dystopian
Merriam-Webster notes that a number of events in 2023 drew attention to 'dystopia.' In particular, he said that it was a year full of dystopian warnings that ``AI will replace humanity or conquer humanity.''

・EGOT
It is an acronym for the four words 'Emmy Award,' 'Grammy Award,' 'Oscar (Academy Award),' and 'Tony Award,' and is pronounced like 'Egert.' Viola Davis, who has already won an Emmy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award, won a Grammy Award in February 2023, resulting in a sudden increase in search results. Davis himself used the verb form in his acceptance speech: 'I just EGOT!' Merriam-Webster added the word to its dictionary as a noun in 2019.

・X
After Elon Musk renamed 'Twitter' to 'X,' 'X' became a word that many people searched for. The number of searches on July 23, 2023, the day the name change was announced, increased to 885% of the previous number.

・Implode
The verb implode, which means to explode inward, and the noun implosion were heavily used during the Titanic exploration submersible disaster that occurred in June 2023.

・Doppelgänger
'Doppelganger' is not a new term, but in 2023, there will be 'doppelganger murders' in Germany and New York, respectively, where people use lookalikes to fake their own deaths, and people who try to kill their lookalikes with poisoned cheesecake. There was an attempted murder case that attracted attention. There was also an incident in which two minor leaguers named Brandon Feigl had identical names and physical characteristics, but DNA testing revealed that they were completely unrelated.

Identical baseball players Brady Feigl with same name took DNA test to see if they were related

・Covenant (contract/terms)
'Covenant' means 'binding agreement' or 'written promise,' but in 2023, the scene of the shooting incident in Nashville was named Covenant School, and in April 2023, Guy Ritchie's movie ``The Covenant'' was released, Abraham Verghese's new work ``He Covenant of Water'' was published in May 2023, and House Speaker Mike Johnson's surveillance app ``He Covenant of Water'' was discovered in November 2023. It attracted attention for its use of 'Covenant Eyes'.

・Indict
``Indict'' is a word that often appears in the news. In particular, when former President Donald Trump was indicted by a grand jury in the hush money case in March 2023, the number of searches jumped 9440%. The 'c' in 'Indict' is not pronounced, but this is the result of correcting the spelling of 'Indite', which was originally a loan word from French, during the Renaissance period.

・Elemental
It is an adjective that can also be used to mean ``basic,'' but in 2023, the big influence was the Pixar movie ``My Element,'' which was released in June. In the movie, Elemental is used in its original meaning, ``any of the four substances air, water, fire, and earth that were once thought to make up the physical universe.''

・Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a communal farm or village in Israel. On October 7, 2023, civilians living in kibbutzim were also targeted when the Islamic organization Hamas carried out an attack on Israel. In addition, the number of searches for ``blood libel'' and ``intifada (intifada: uprising against Israeli occupation of Palestine)'' has also increased in connection with Hamas attacks and Israel's attacks on Gaza.

・Deadname
The increase in searches for 'Deadname' comes as several states are considering parental rights laws in March 2023. This type of bill would require schools to use what many transgender advocates refer to as 'deadnames,' names given at birth that are no longer used by transgender people upon gender transition.