- Merriam-Webster chose "authentic" as its word of the year, and cites Taylor Swift as a factor.
- The dictionary publisher also said AI played a role by blurring the lines between "real" and "fake."
Merriam-Webster announced its words of the year on Monday and no, AI doesn't top the list.
Instead, the dictionary publisher picked "authentic" as the top word of the year.
"Although clearly a desirable quality, 'authentic' is hard to define and subject to debate," Merriam-Webster said.
Use of the term, and its popularity, was driven by AI – which has blurred the line between "real" and "fake." It even credits Taylor Swift with playing a role given the pop superstar, along with others, "all made headlines in 2023 with statements about seeking their 'authentic voice' and 'authentic self'."
"Rizz,"a dictionary latecomer added in September, was touted as another word of the year and means when a person has "romantic appeal or charm." Other words include: deepfake, dystopian, coronation, egot, X, implode, doppelganger, covenant and indict.
The rise in AI has also spurred a rise in the use of "deepfake." The widely mocked rebrand of Twitter also saw "X" make the list. The word "kibbutz," meaning an Israeli communal settlement or farm, was also included following the October 7 terrorist attacks, Merriam-Webster said.
Many of the words it selected are linked to some of the year's biggest news events, including former president Donald Trump's indictments, the coronation of King Charles in May, and the implosion of the Titan submersible in June.
Merriam-Webster's word of 2022 was "gaslighting," which it defines as "psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator."