Deepfake and Kibbutz most searched words in 2023, but 'authentic' is Merriam-Webster Word of the Year

Merriam-Webster dictionary disclosed some of the most searched words of 2023 on November 27, Monday. The top-searched words include ‘Deepfake,’ ‘Deadname,’ ‘Rizz,’ ‘coronation,’ and others. However, the word ‘authentic’ claimed the title of the Word of the Year for 2023.

Word of the year 2023

• Merriam-Webster dictionary's word of the year for 2023 is "authentic."
• In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press (AP), Peter Sokolowski, a lexicographer at Merriam-Webster, stated, "Authentic cuisine. Authentic voice. Authentic self. Authenticity as artifice. Lookups for the word are routinely heavy on the dictionary company’s site but were boosted to new heights throughout the year."
• Sokolowski mentioned ahead of the announcement, "We see in 2023 a kind of crisis of authenticity. What we realize is that when we question authenticity, we value it even more."
• Sokolowski and his team analyzed data reflecting surges in word searches, noting a significant increase in searches for the term "authentic."

Top words of 2023

It was revealed that following are the top words of 2023: 

1. Coronation: It's dictionary meaning refers to "the act or occasion of crowning." According to Sokolowski, the look ups for the word ’coronation' surged to 15,681% around King Charles III coronation ceremony that took place on May 6.

2. Deepfake: Merriam-Webster defines it as, "an image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said".

3. Deadname: The dictionary defines it as, "the name that a transgender person was given at birth and no longer uses upon transitioning."

4. Rizz: It’s slang for “romantic appeal or charm” and seemingly short for charisma. Merriam-Webster added the word to its online dictionary in September and it’s been among the top lookups since, Sokolowski said.

5. Implode: Implode means "to burst inward". 

6. Kibbutz: Merriam-Webster defines Kibbutz as a "a communal farm or settlement in Israel". The search for this word soared following Hamas attack on October 7.

7. Doppelganger: Sokolowski calls this "a word lover’s word." Merriam-Webster defines it as a “double,” an “alter ego” or a “ghostly counterpart.” It derives from German folklore. 

8. Dystopian: the word means, "of, relating to, or being an imagined world or society in which people lead dehumanized, fearful lives : relating to or characteristic of a dystopia."

9. Covenant: the dictionary defines the word as "a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement". 

10. Indict: Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as "to charge with a crime by the finding or presentment of a jury (such as a grand jury) in due form of law". 

Did you know the meanings of these words before? Have you looked up any of these words during this year? Let us know in the comments section