In the modern era, when up is down and left is right, when everything George Orwell predicted has come true, of course we’re redefining words to mean whatever the woke leftists want them to mean.
The Cambridge Dictionary is the latest, having decided to redefine the words “man” and “woman.”
A woman is now “an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.” And of course a man is “an adult who lives and identifies as male though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.”
Social media, as one could predict, exploded.
“Cambridge Dictionary decided it’s no longer aligned with reality,” one user wrote.
Cambridge Dictionary decided it's no longer aligned with reality.
— just another George. (@Raku________) December 12, 2022
“Shame on Cambridge Dictionary. Identifying as a woman does not make someone a woman,” wrote another.
Shame on Cambridge Dictionary. Identifying as a woman does not make someone a woman.
— Adrienne (@TexMomACN) December 12, 2022
And one mocked the very definition of the famed lexicographer.
“A book that lives and identifies as a dictionary though it may have been said to have a different genre when written.”
a book that lives and identifies as a dictionary though it may have been said to have a different genre when written
— ideology enjoyer (@autistic_campus) December 12, 2022
A Cambridge Dictionary spokesman told the Daily Mail that the definitions were added in October.
“They carefully studied usage patterns of the word ‘woman’ and concluded that this definition is one that learners of English should be aware of to support their understanding of how the language is used,” a statement read. “The first definition at the entry for ‘woman’ remains unchanged and continues to be ‘an adult female human being.’”
Free Speech Union founder Toby Young told the Mail that the dictionary is going down a “slippery slope.”
“It’s disappointing to see identity politics creeping into the way a dictionary defines words,” he said. “The claim that these supplementary definitions of “woman” and “man” are based on “carefully studied usage patterns” doesn’t seem plausible. Who, apart from a few woke activists, define ‘woman’ and ‘man’ this way?”
Meanwhile, Dictionary.com on Tuesday announced that “woman” is the 2022 Word of the Year after searches for the word soared by more than 1,400%.
The website, the top online English-language educational dictionary, defines “woman” as “an adult female person.”
“This year, the very matter of the definition of the word ‘woman’ was at the center of so many consequential moments, discussions, and decisions in our society,” John Kelly, senior director of editorial at Dictionary.com, said in a statement.
“Our selection of ‘woman’ as the Word of the Year for 2022—and how the word is defined, who is included in that definition, who the word applies and belongs to—highlights how important the work of a dictionary is, and how dictionaries can impact people’s lives,” he said.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.