Did you try to be more authentic this year? Were you trying to figure out what "authentic" even means? Either way, you weren't alone: It's Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2023, an annual recognition given to a word that dominates searches and lookup volume on the dictionary's website. It's an important distinction: Coming across as phony can be alienating, while conveying authenticity can help you amass popularity and inspire others, surveys show. Trying too hard to be natural or relatable often seems fake, Merriam-Webster's announcement noted: "Ironically, with 'authentic content creators' now recognized as the gold standard for building trust, 'authenticity' has become a performance."

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Persons: It's Merriam, Rebecca Zucker, Herminia Ibarra, Ibarra Organizations: CNBC, Merriam, London School of