In an era of fake news, fact-checking and the search for truth, the most prestigious American dictionary has decreed that the most widespread word of 2023 is "authentic" . For Merriam-Webster, which every year decides which term is the most widespread in the USA, there has been a "substantial" increase in the use and search for "authentic" due to "stories and conversations on artificial intelligence, celebrities, identity and social media”.
The reason so many have searched for the word is that it has several meanings , according to the dictionary, including "not fake or imitation" and "true to one's personality, soul, or character."
Merriam-Webster also points out that “authentic” has been the term of choice for stars like Sam Smith and Taylor Swift , who made headlines this year with statements about finding their “authentic voice” and their “authentic self.”
Another fan of the word is Elon Musk , who has often said that people should be more "authentic" on social media.
One of the other words that stood out this year, according to the dictionary, is “deepfake,” closely related to “authentic.”
Last year, according to Merriam-Webster, "gaslighting" was the most widespread word of 2022. It is impossible to translate it into Italian with just one word: the expression means "psychological manipulation of a person ", usually for a long period of time which, according to the dictionary definition, "causes the victim to question the validity of their thoughts and perception of reality or memories and leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of their emotional or mental stability as well as addiction by the perpetrator". It was invented in 1938 in the play “Gas Light” by Patrick Hamilton, from which two famous films were based in 1940.
(Unioneonline/vl)
