Across the English-speaking world in 2023, language institutions tracked how people expressed uncertainty, hope, and exhaustion. Multiple dictionaries crowned distinct word of the year selections that reflected political upheaval, environmental concern, and digital culture.
These annual choices reveal how vocabulary adapts to crises and technologies, serving as a cultural barometer more than a marketing stunt. The following sections explore the leading words, their contexts, and what they signal about contemporary life.
| Dictionary | Word of the Year 2023 | Primary Context | Key Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merriam-Webster | Authentic | Cultural discourse and identity | Scrutiny of sincerity in politics, media, and branding |
| Oxford Languages | Riddle | Global uncertainty and problem-solving | Geopolitical instability, climate questions, AI ambiguity |
| Collins | AI | Technology and artificial intelligence | Rapid generative AI adoption and public debate |
| Macquarie | Permacrisis | Societal unease and ongoing disruption | Pandemic aftereffects, cost-of-living pressures, climate anxiety |
| Cambridge | Hallucinate | AI reliability and misinformation | Large language models producing plausible but false content |
Authentic as a Cultural Signal
Merriam-Webster’s choice of authentic pointed to a year when public figures, brands, and institutions faced pressure to prove they were genuine. Searches for the word surged after high-profile interviews and apologies, indicating a collective preoccupation with sincerity.
Political and Corporate Usage
News coverage and corporate statements that felt staged or evasive triggered readers to question authenticity. The term became a shorthand for whether actions matched stated values, from corporate rebranding to political promises.
Oxford Riddle Uncertainty and Problem-Solving
Oxford Languages selected riddle to capture a world where clear answers were scarce. People grappled with ambiguous information, making trust, verification, and clarity central themes in public debate.
Everyday Applications
Beyond geopolitics, individuals faced riddles in healthcare, finance, and technology, where opaque algorithms and mixed messages complicated decision-making. The word resonated because it mirrored daily problem-solving under uncertainty.
Technology Focus AI and Hallucinate
Collins highlighted AI as the defining force of 2023, while Cambridge’s choice of hallucinate underscored growing unease about AI-generated content. Both terms reflected a maturing public understanding of large language models.
Impact on Media and Research
Journalists and researchers adopted hallucinate to describe confident falsehoods produced by AI systems, accelerating conversations about regulation, copyright, and factual integrity in automated text and images.
Permacrisis as a Lived Experience
Macquarie’s term permacrisis described the extended state of disruption following the pandemic, compounded by energy shocks, climate extremes, and cost pressures. The word validated a sense of prolonged instability for many communities.
Social and Economic Implications
Workers, educators, and policymakers cited permacrisis to explain burnout, shifting priorities, and the difficulty of long-term planning. It functioned both as a diagnostic label and a shared cultural narrative.
Reflecting on 2023 Language Trends
- Notice how often words of the year track responses to systemic uncertainty, from authenticity to pervasive crisis.
- Observe the recurring theme of verification, as audiences seek reliable information amid AI outputs and contested narratives.
- Monitor emerging phrases that move from niche usage to mainstream recognition within a single year.
- Use these annual selections as entry points for discussions about media literacy, technology ethics, and social resilience.
FAQ
Reader questions
Why did different dictionaries choose different words of the year?
Each dictionary tracks its own corpus data, editorial criteria, and geographic focus, so choices vary based on which sources and evidence are prioritized.
What does the word authentic reveal about 2023 culture?
It signals a heightened demand for transparency and proof, as people questioned motives behind messaging in politics, advertising, and personal branding.
How did AI-related terms influence the word of the year selections?
Rapid advances in generative AI placed terms like AI and hallucinate in mainstream discourse, linking technological developments directly to cultural anxiety and fascination.
In what ways did permacrisis describe lived experience beyond economics?
It captured ongoing climate impacts, political instability, and mental fatigue, illustrating how prolonged uncertainty reshapes daily routines and long-term expectations.