WOTY 2023: AI, Rizz, Hallucinate, Authentic And Other Words That Defined The Year

WOTY 2023: Explore the linguistic Zeitgeist of 2023 as leading dictionaries—Oxford, Cambridge, Merriam-Webster, and Collins—reveal their chosen "Words of the Year," reflecting the key themes that defined the past 12 months.

WOTY 2023: English dictionaries every year offer a fascinating glimpse into the evolving tapestry of language by choosing a "Word of the Year”. These words capture the zeitgeist, reflecting the dominant themes, anxieties, and innovations that shaped the preceding 12 months. As 2023 draws to a close, let's delve into the choices made by four prominent dictionaries — Oxford, Cambridge, Merriam-Webster, and Collins.

Oxford Word Of The Year 2023

Stepping away from their usual trend of serious vocabulary, Oxford crowned "rizz" as their Word of the Year 2023. This slang term, derived from "charisma", encapsulates the ever-growing emphasis on personal branding and the quest for online virality. With the rise of social media influencers and the blurring lines between personal and professional lives, "rizz" aptly captures the desire to project a magnetic personality and command attention.

The expression pertains to “someone’s ability to attract another person through style, charm, or attractiveness”, Oxford says. Derived from the middle part of the word, ‘charisma’,  ‘rizz’ displays an unusual word formation pattern, but there have been other such examples — ‘flu’ (influenza) or ‘fridge’ (refrigerator).

‘Rizz’ can be used as a verb too — the phrase ‘rizz up’ means ‘to attract, seduce, or chat up (a person)’.

Oxford says the use of the word, as recorded in its corpus, saw a “dramatic” increase in 2023, peaking in June 2023 when actor Tom Holland was asked in an interview about his ‘rizz’. He had replied: “I have no rizz whatsoever, I have limited rizz.”

Why ‘Hallucinate’ Is Cambridge Word Of The Year 2023

Cambridge took a more cerebral approach while selecting its WOTY 2023, as it zeroed down on "hallucinate" as their champion word. This choice highlights the burgeoning presence and influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in our lives. Cambridge recognises the growing use of "hallucinate" to describe the sometimes-unrealistic outputs of AI systems, particularly in the realm of generative content creation. This word choice prompts us to reflect on the potential pitfalls of AI, urging us to approach its outputs with a critical eye.

Traditionally, the Cambridge dictionary definition of hallucination was “to seem to see, hear, feel, or smell something that does not exist, usually because of a health condition or because you have taken a drug”. It now has an additional definition: “When an artificial intelligence (= a computer system that has some of the qualities that the human brain has, such as the ability to produce language in a way that seems human) hallucinates, it produces false information.”

‘Authentic’: The Merriam-Webster Word Of The Year 2023

Seeking a word that resonated on a deeper level, Merriam-Webster declared "authentic" their Word of the Year 2023. This evocative term taps into a fundamental human yearning for genuineness and self-expression. In a world saturated with filters and facades, "authentic" speaks to the desire to connect with others on a real and meaningful level. It's a call for personal truthfulness and a rejection of artificiality, both in our interactions and in how we present ourselves to the world.

“...with the rise of artificial intelligence—and its impact on deepfake videos, actors’ contracts, academic honesty, and a vast number of other topics—the line between “real” and “fake” has become increasingly blurred,” Merriam-Webster says.

‘AI’ Is The Collins WOTY 2023 

Collins opted for "AI" itself as their Word of the Year 2023. This straightforward choice underscores the undeniable pervasiveness of AI in 2023. From personalised recommendations to self-driving cars, AI has woven itself into the fabric of our daily lives. Collins' selection acknowledges the transformative power of AI while also serving as a reminder of the ongoing debates surrounding its ethical implications and potential societal impact.

Collins defines AI as “the modelling of human mental functions by computer programs”. 

EGOT, Deepfake, Prompt, De-influencing, Canon Event, Ennui, And More

There were many other words that stood out in the 2023 data of the dictionaries as they experienced spikes in public interest and searches on their websites. 

Oxford had ‘prompt’, also influenced by AI, and ‘situationship’ among the finalists and ‘beige flag’, ‘de-influencing’ and ‘parasocial’ on the shortlist. 

‘Implosion’, ‘ennui’, ‘grifter’ and ‘GOAT’ were among the words of the year shortlisted by Cambridge, while Merriam-Webster had ‘EGOT’, ‘deepfake’, ‘dystopian’, ‘coronation’, and ‘X’ on its shortlist.

‘De-banking’, ‘semaglutide’, ‘nepo baby’, ‘greedflation’, and ‘Canon event’ were the words on Collins shortlist.

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