Article - Merriam-Webster s Word Of the Year For 2023 Is Authentic : Is Being So More Important Than Ever Before To Our Guests? - By Doug Kennedy - As the final days of slip away, how interesting it is that Merriam-Webster s Word of the Year for 2023 is Authentic, meaning it was the most searched on their site. Because I failed miserably at learning a second language, I have become somewhat of an Etymologist, so I was eager to see how Merriam Webster defined it in their announcement.