4 words the dictionary says you should stop using
The way we are talking about race, sexual orientation and mental health all taken into account in the changes.
The way we communicate is constantly changing and the very words we use to do it. Sometimes the new verbiage is created to catch up with evolving technology and sometimes wechange the language Eliminate stigma or cultural insensitisations. With one year as 2020 being so full of historical events and societal changes, we have beenmake a lot of reconsideration. It is therefore not surprising that the indispensable dictionary has published its greatest update this year. Not only 650 new entries have been added on the site, but 15,000 definitions have also been updated - and this includesDictionary.com abandoning daily words entirely.
"The unprecedented events of 2020, the pandemic to the protests, have profoundly changed our lives and our language," wrote the site managers in a post blog announcing the update. "A great deal of entries that we have updated the addresses that all affect us at the most personal levels: race and ethnic origin, sex and sexuality, health and well-being."
So what terms have been suspended? These are four words Dictionary.com says you should stop using if you have not already done so. And for more ways to refresh your vocabulary, checkThe 50 most beautiful words of the English language - and how to use them.
1 Black with tiny b
TheBlack lives of the protest material in response toGeorge Floyd's The murder has completely transformed the scope by which we see and discuss the breed. As such, Dictionary.com decided to officially capitalizeBlack With reference to people, drop the tiny version of use.
"CapitalizeBlack gives the dignity due to the shared identity, culture and history of blacks, "said the publishers of the site." It is also aligned with the practice of using initial capital letters for many other ethnic groups and national identities, for example,Hispanic. "And for more changes from BLM protests, check8 changes that have happened since manifestations of white matter started.
2 Homosexual
As part of the efforts of the site to "put people, not the practices" first, dictionary.com also announced that it would be abandonedhomosexual, a word that is commonly used to describe someone's sexual orientation, claiming that he held a "clinical" or "deviant" connotation rooted in obsolete beliefs.
"Informed by Glaad's recommendations and APA guidelines, we also haveReferences replaced withhomosexual withgay,Gay man, Wheregay woman as well as references tohomosexuality withGay sexual orientation. For example, we now definegaiety As "sexual orientation or gay or lesbian behavior" in relation to the sunny gloss of "homosexuality". These changes alone affect more than 50 entries. And for more ways, stop looking at the LGBTQAIA + community, discover11 stereotypes People should stop believing about the LGBTQ community.
3 Addict
As the opioid crisis continues to have a profound effect on the United States, it has also affected how we approach and discuss dependency. As a result, Dictionary.com hasfiled all references to the wordaddict In the name name and replaced it with "the usual user".
"These changes in the foreground the fact that people who have dependencies are human beings, above all," the Dictionary.com team writes. "For example, our new entry for the second sense of the user now reads:" A person who is addicted or abuses a controlled substance or alcohol; A person who uses illegal or addictive drugs. "And for more information on how words affect people who are addicted to substances, checkA new study calls to call substance abuse a "illness" makes people less likely to ask for help.
4 Suicide
TheMental health topic has never seen as much light as in the public speech. To reflect that, Dictionary.com decided to replace all the instances ofsuicide withsuicide Whereput an end to life, which is the preferred terminology by mental health professionals and specialists in suicide prevention.
"The moralist verbto commitis associated with crime (in the justice system) and sin (in religion), deepening the emotional pain surrounding this sensitive but important subject and thickening the obstacles to speak openly about it. And if you fight depression or other mental health questions, check out 14 ways to improve your mental health every day .