Merriam-Webster has chosen "authentic" as the Word of the Year for 2023, citing a "crisis of authenticity" in the age of deepfakes and post-truth. Peter Sokolowski, editor at large for the dictionary company, believes that when people question authenticity, they value it even more. Authenticity is a complex concept, highly valued in our society, and is often used to describe a person's character or a product's quality. This year's choice of "authentic" is a reminder of the importance of truth and integrity in our society.