Westover: Merriam-Webster finally gets real with its word of the year

The word is ‘authentic’ — but it can be a bit slippery. Sometimes it’s used in a way that feels self-congratulatory or even performative.

Published Dec 09, 2023 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 2 minute read

Photo by Greg Perry

Merriam-Webster’s word of 2023 is “authentic.” It’s the word that has piqued greatest curiosity this year, earning the highest number of look-ups. And maybe, at a time that feels freighted with anything but optimism, we can take heart in this small fact.

With the advent of Chat GPT, the growing threat of deep fakes, the non-stop harassment from fraudulent calls and texts (“Your social insurance number has been cancelled” or ‘”Your Aunt Judy is destitute and in urgent need of iTunes gift cards”) and what can feel like a constant barrage of disinformation, maybe it’s only natural for the pendulum to swing away from imitators towards something more real.

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But authentic is a word that can be a bit slippery.

I think we can all agree that its clearest usage involves pointing out when something, or someone, is a pretender. Here, I’m thinking about the obvious disingenuousness of, say, moccasins purchased at a big-box store, as opposed to those crafted by Indigenous peoples. One pair is authentic, the other a pale — and arguably appropriated — imitation.

Or consider reality television. Savvy viewers know darn well there’s nothing authentic about the barrage of shows purporting to portray reality, when what they are usually spewing (selling) is just a cheap (or lavish) approximation of “reality” that is no closer to most of our real lives than obviously fantasist Hollywood films. Which is precisely why it’s compelling.

I certainly don’t want to watch someone cleaning a toilet, putting away groceries, or sitting reading a book. Most of daily life is far too mundane (one might even say authentic) to capture anyone’s attention for too long.

In a way, it’s easier to define what isn’t authentic than what actually is.

Partly that’s because it’s a word that’s being tossed around, almost ad-nauseam, in the context of “I am who I am,” or “being your authentic self.” And it can feel a bit self-congratulatory, or even performative at times.

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Like many words, it can be co-opted, and can serve to define its opposite. I’m always a bit skeptical when people proclaim their own authenticity. It’s a bit “thou dost protest too much.”

Sometimes authentic can serve as a guise for laziness, or unwillingness to change. And this is also problematic. Hoisting the mantra “I am who I am” is to deny opportunities for personal growth, and enshrine personality flaws as immutable.

Wouldn’t we all like to believe that with hard work and introspection, we can work towards smoothing out our rougher edges, or question long-held beliefs that may have become outmoded over time.

In a world where actual authenticity is hard to find, there is something refreshing in knowing that people are searching for the true meaning of the word. From a trusted (read: authentic) source.

Funnily enough, the word of 2022 was “gaslight.” If words had colour wheels, authenticity would be on the opposite side. In 12 short months, we’ve travelled a long way, metaphorically speaking.

Authenticity is a hard word to define, because it should be proclaimed in deed, not word. Maybe it’s fair to say we know it when we see it.

Suzanne Westover is an Ottawa writer.