This may be redundant news for many, but Merriam-Webster has announced its Word of the Year for 2023. No doubt there were “word” parties held in anticipation of just what term would win the coveted prize. I envision many logophiles anticipating the climactic moment much as football fans sit on the edge of their seats eagerly awaiting the announcement of the Heisman Trophy winner.

Well, the wait is over. I don’t know if the Word of the Year was kept in a secret envelope and torn open by a major movie star or not, but I say let’s just get right to it.

For 2023, the Word of the Year is . . . AUTHENTIC! (pause) Did you cheer? From what I’ve read, the winning word was searched on the Merriam-Webster website dictionary repeatedly. And there was frequent use of the word as a descriptive term for another word, such as “authentic cuisine, authentic voice, authentic self, and authenticity as artifice.” (I don’t have a clue as to what that last one means. Sounds as if a guy who writes a dictionary came up with it.)

There are many people in the public eye this year about whom I have thought, “Is he/she for real?” I’m obviously questioning the authenticity of whatever the person in question might have said or done. You can definitely raise the authentic issue for any words that come out of a politicians’ mouths. And who knows whether the public persona of famous entertainers is just an act or truly authentic? (Tom Hanks and Dolly Parton can’t be THAT nice, can they?)

If you were one of the legions who looked up M-W’s definition of the word authentic this year, you would have found a wealth of information about it.

  1. Not false or imitation: Real, actual. Example: an authentic cockney accent
  2. True to one’s own personality, spirit, or character. Example: Is sincere and authentic with no pretensions
  3. Worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact. Example: Paints an authentic picture of our society
  4. Conforming to an original so as to reproduce essential features. Example: Authentic reproduction of a colonial farmhouse
  5. Made or done the same way as an original. Example: Authentic Mexican fare

While it’s obvious the word authentic can be utilized in myriad ways, I’m just not sure it’s strong enough to beat out other words that certainly got a workout in 2023. Perhaps the following terms were considered but didn’t quite rise to the top.

For example, INFLATION. Now there’s a word that continues to show up pretty much daily in casual conversations, in news stories, and in political discourses. It’s even been used with colorful adjectives by those standing in a grocery store checkout line after discovering how much that night’s chicken dinner is going to cost.

How about WARFARE? As if the continuing campaign by Russia to run roughshod over Ukraine wasn’t enough to keep the military industrial complex in business, along come the hostilities in the Holy Land. Unfortunately, I don’t think anybody had to look up what warfare means. We’re all too keenly aware of its definition.

Perhaps CHEATING was a contender. That word ran the gamut from stealing sideline signs in college football games to creative congressional capers, to name just a couple of examples of dishonesty and unethical behavior. (Alas, this entry in the sweepstakes is a probably a candidate for Word of the Year every year.)

There was one other entry, but not from Merriam-Webster. It seems the Oxford University Press also picks a Word of the Year. They did not choose AUTHENTIC. No, their word apparently springs from Gen Z slang. And that word is RIZZ, as in someone’s ability to attract others to them. Extensive research has shown RIZZ beat out “Swiftie” (think Taylor), “beige flag” (boring, lacking originality), and “situationship” (a relationship that is not perceived as formal) as terms chosen “to reflect humanity’s array of moods, interests and concerns this year.” RIZZ, by the way, is said to be short for charisma, which clears things up considerably.

Even though I may try to find an opportunity to sneak RIZZ into a conversation, I believe I lean toward AUTHENTIC as being as good a word as any to be given the honor of Word of the Year by the M-W folks. It’s something I think we all strive to be, especially with our friends and families. Being authentic can make others trust you in any endeavor. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But do tread a bit lightly in your authenticity. If your significant other asks you if they’ve put on a little weight recently, be careful how authentic you get with your answer. Your RIZZ may be on thin ice.

©MMXXIII. William J. Lewis, III – Freelance Writer