Alphabetical Entries: A
167 entries found.
abandoned sometimes carries negative implications about the people who used to live there (careless, irresponsible, fiscally inept). More neutral descriptions include empty, uninhabited, vacant.
appropriate sex-specific titles. "Abbess" is an exception to the avoidance of feminine endings; abbesses were generally equal to abbots in power, influence, and respect. In the generic sense of "abbess" or "abbot," use religious superior, administrator, director.
this term and its buddy "temporarily able-bodied" have lost ground due to their vagueness (few people are 100% able-bodied, whether a toddler needs help up the stairs, a young person wears glasses, or an older person has arthritis). A one-size-fits-all term for the opposite of "people with disabilities" frames an us/them, either/or perspective. Instead describe the situation: "both those who use wheelchairs and those who don't."
in use since about 1981, this term parallels sexism, racism, heterosexism, and other discriminatory social systems and describes words and actions reflecting the belief that people with disabilities are inherently inferior. See also handicapism.
the correct terms are yeti, the Yeti.
coined in 1990 by Bob Hodge and Vijay Mishra (Dark Side of the Dream), this term encompasses the body of "knowledge" about Aboriginals that continues to be constructed largely by non-Aboriginal people who apply terms like "legends," "myths/mythology," and "folklore" to Aboriginal creation stories. A related issue is the "settlement" of Australia, objectionable because: "This land was not 'pioneered and settled,' it was invaded and occupied" (Kevin Carmody, in Social Alternatives). See also aborigine/aboriginal, indigenous peoples.
these terms are correct, although "aborigine" is limited to generic-non-place-specific references. For the earliest peoples of Australia, capitalize the terms ("Aboriginal peoples") and use "Aboriginal/Aboriginals" instead of "Aborigine/Aborigines." (The shortened "Abo/abo" is always pejorative.) Best of all: "Koorie is the name by which those of us living in New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania refer to ourselves and others of our race. It does not mean a specific group. Murri is the Queensland term. Nyunga is southern Western Australia; Nyungga in Southern Australia, and so on. Learn them all and use them appropriately" (Eve Fesl, in Social Alternatives ).). "When referring to other native peoples, such as American Indians or the early Celts of Britain [use] aboriginal inhabitants or indigenous peoples instead of aborigines. While there is nothing offensive in the notion of prior habitation—indeed, it is a point of considerable pride among most native peoples—the lowercase noun aborigine may well evoke an unwelcome stereotype" (American Heritage Book of English Usage). See also aboriginalism, First Nations/First Nations people/First People, indigenous people, shortened forms of words.
when writing about abortion, double-check your information for accuracy—some is slanted, cherry-picked, or false. Never describe a miscarriage as an abortion. Roe v. Wade, which includes a phrase protecting the health of the woman, as well as access to abortion, is under serious attack, undercutting people's right to decide what happens to their bodies. Since birth control, emergency contraception, and sex education all reduce the number of abortions, opponents of Roe v. Wade seem not to care so much about abortion as about controlling people's bodies. According to the CDC, “Approximately 700 women die in the United States each year as a result of pregnancy or its complications, and significant racial/ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related mortality exist." The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says "many more women would die each year if they did not have access to abortion to protect their health or to save their lives." The ACOG policy position states, “Induced abortion is an essential component of women’s health care. Like all medical matters, decisions regarding abortion should be made by patients in consultation with their health care providers and without undue interference by outside parties. Like all patients, women obtaining abortion are entitled to privacy, dignity, respect, and support.” See also anti-abortion, contraception, pro-choice, pro-life, reproductive rights.
reproductive health clinic. Abortion is generally only one of the health services provided by a reproductive health clinic; most also include counseling, family planning, mammograms, referrals, and health screenings. See also abortion, abortionist, contraception, family planning, pro-choice, reproductive rights.
the organization All* Above All defines abortion justice as "a world where abortion care is affordable, available, and supported for everyone who needs it." It recognizes that racism, economic insecurity, and immigration status multiply the barriers to abortion care and that true abortion justice must incorporate racial, economic, and immigrant justice. See also abortion, reproductive justice, reproductive rights
abortion provider, physician/provider who performs abortions. "'Abortionist' ... is a highly charged word that is pejorative, derogatory, and defamatory" (Warren M. Hern, M.D., in a letter to The New York Times ). In the past, "abortionist" described illegal providers of abortions "in a sleazy world of avaricious, incompetent criminals." Some dictionaries say the term is usually pejorative, often carrying the meaning "providing abortions, especially illegally." In addition, terminating unwanted pregnancies is rarely the only work a physician does; use abortion provider, internist, gynecologist, obstetrician, or other specialty term. See also abortion, reproductive justice, reproductive rights.
these traditional ancestors of Jews and Christians should be joined by their partners, also authentic and important ancestors: Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel. "The God of Abraham" would read "the God of Abraham and Sarah."
According to David Levy (in Copy Editor), president of the Children's Rights Council, an organization that helps children maintain contact with both parents, the term "absent parent" dates to the 1935 Social Security Act: "when welfare was first set up, Social Security was for survivors of the deceased--fathers who were lost at sea or in mine disasters. Now 60 years later the main problem is divorce, and we're still using the same antiquated term to describe parents who are not absent." The federal Office of Child Support Enforcement uses "absent parent" only in references to parents whose whereabouts are unknown; otherwise they use "noncustodial parent." Avoid the nonparallel terms, "mother/maternal deprivation" and "father absence" unless you use their correct equivalents ("mother absence/father absence" and "mother deprivation/father deprivation"). See also broken home, child custody, noncustodial parent, visitation (child custody).
there is nothing wrong with this phrase, but be aware of how many such expressions are male-based. Balance their use with female-based expressions, creative expressions of your own, or sex-neutral alternatives: according to/by the book, according to/playing by the rules, absolutely correct, cricket, in point of honor, on the square, proper/correct way to do things. See also sex-linked expressions.
there is nothing wrong with this phrase--it is in fact useful for both sexes, popular, and irreplaceable by anything nearly as apt--but be aware of how many such expressions are male-based. Balance their use with female-based expressions, creative expressions of your own, or sex-neutral alternatives: vulnerable point/spot, vulnerability, only weakness, chink in one's armor, where the shoe pinches. See also sex-linked expressions.
acid-mixer, nitrating-acid mixer.
acid-conditioner.
acid-corrector, acid-correction hand.
often a more accurate term than "date rape" because it also includes sexual assaults that happen in contexts other than dating. RAINN estimates that eight out of 10 rapes are committed by someone the victim knows. Prosecutors and police investigators tend to give less credit to a charge of rape from someone who knew or who may even have had previous consensual sex with the rapist. Rape in marriage is against the law, too. Avoid the heterosexist assumption that date rape always involves a woman and a man. See also provoke, rape, rape victim, rapist, sexual harassment, "she asked for it," victim, violence.
actor. Women who call themselves actors point out that they are members of the U.S. Screen Actors' Guild or British Actors' Equity Association. "Actor" was used for both sexes for about seventy-five years before the appearance of "actress" ("a woman who is an actor"). In addition the binary awards categories "best actor/best actress" reinforce divisive, noninclusive norms for binary and trans actors. Gender-bending actor, writer, producer Ser Anzoategu says, "To place me in the actress category is to make me invisible" ("Don't call me an actress," Los Angeles Times, June 24, 2019). When the Television Academy allowed her to submit in the supporting actor category for the Emmys, she said, "While I am masculine-presenting, that's not the reason I chose this category. I think all performers ought to perform and be recognized under a gender-neutral descriptor, and 'actor' is the closest we have to an umbrella term." Use "actress" for women who so identify themselves. All others are actors. See also feminine word endings.
go a little wild. Half the time use Eve and Adam. The man formed out of the dust of the ground is "adham," a generic term in ancient Hebrew for humankind. This biblical first person is reported in some texts as an androgynous being having the potentialities of both sexes.
the word "adam" derives from the Hebrew wore "adamah" means "earth" in Hebrew. In telling how God made the adam from the adamah, the creation story says humans are from and of the humus. This "adam" is an earthling who is not yet either male or female (Genesis 2:7). Not until the lines of poetry near the end does the story use the Hebrew words "is" and "issah," expressing male and female sex difference. Thus, biblically, common humanity precedes sexual differentiation. Dennis Baron (Grammar and Gender). says that the phrase "Adam's rib" (as womankind's point of origin) should be put in quotation marks to show its dubiousness, and its use should be reserved for discussions of the term itself.