Alphabetical Entries: A

do not use adjectives as nouns when referring to something that describes only a part of a person's or a group's existence. Undesirable constructions: the blind, the poor, the learning disabled, the elderly, an amputee, a diabetic, a quadriplegic. In most cases, it doesn't help to simply put a noun after the adjective. You usually need to change the construction itself: those who have been blind from birth, poor and low-income renters, children with learning disabilities, older patients, someone with an amputation/with diabetes/with quadriplegia. See also disabilities, "people first" rule.

advertising/creative/art director, copywriter, ad agent/writer/creator, account executive/manager/supervisor, media buyer, ad rep, advertising executive/representative. Generic plurals: advertising executives, ad agency staff, advertising people. When possible, use specific job titles.

never use these dated terms that suggest being LGBT is somehow inherently shameful. If you need to mention sexual orientation and modify it, use "openly gay" or "openly lesbian." See also gay (n.), homosexual, lesbian (n., adj.), LGBT, openly lesbian/gay/transgender, queer (adj.).

this term for the period of development between youth and maturity, or from the onset of puberty to maturity, is not a specific span of years and its characteristics vary enormously from individual to individual. In addition to being vague, it has negative connotations because of its use in terms like "adolescent behavior" and because it defines someone solely in terms of age. Either refer to a specific age ("Ali, 16"), or use young person/people, young adult, young man/young woman. "The teen years" is preferable to "adolescence." See also ageism, children, juvenile, teen/teenager, youth.

this is subtle, but important to some people. Ubiquitous for a wide range of "campaigns" (adopt-a-highway, adopt-a-wolf, adopt-a-family, adopt-a-pothole), the overused "adopt-a" programs can confuse children--adopted or not--and perpetuate myths and stereotypes about adoption as a real, permanent family relationship. Adoption expert Pat Johnston notes that adoptive families "build their relationships on the powerful notion of forever. The 'adopt-a' programs, more accurately described as 'sponsorship' programs with acknowledged short-term commitments, promote misconceptions and a trivialized perception of this family-building method." Consider using instead sponsor-a, choose-a, embrace-a, opt-for-a, take-up-a, save-a, help-a, be a friend to.

many terms used to describe adoption and adopted children—particularly to distinguish adoptive families and children from those families and children related genetically—tend to portray adoption as a second-best, even last-resort way to build a family. Calling a biological parent a "real" parent or a "natural" parent implies that adoptive relationships are artificial and less important than are relationships by birth. The phrase "children of their own" when referring to parents implies that genetic relationships are stronger than adoptive ones. Birth mothers and birth fathers who choose adoption for their children generally do not "abandon," "surrender," "release," "relinquish," "give up," or "put up for adoption" their children. In most cases it is accurate to say they "placed a child for adoption," or "planned for" or "chose" adoption. It is better to say "the children were adopted" than "the children are adopted." "International adoption" is preferred to "foreign adoption." "Hard to place" children can be called "children with special needs" or "waiting children," terms that are less damaging to their self-esteem and hopes. Avoid the qualifier "adopted" (for example, "survivors include two sons and an adopted daughter") unless there is a specific reason for mentioning the fact of the adoption. See, biological father/mother/parent, birth mother/father/parent, illegitimate/illegitimate child, "natural" father/mother/child, "real" father/mother/parent.

man or woman. This label is rarely seen today outside religious contexts—casting stones is a dicey business.. See also cuckold, philanderer.

this can mean either the power adults have over children and the resulting systematic prejudice or discrimination against young people or it can mean a bias in favor of adults and the social addiction to adults' ideas, activities, attitudes. But, also, searching online for "adultism" returns in the number one-spot: "Adultism: Adult Sex Community Real Amateurs Share Real Porn." See also childism.

advance agent, publicity/press agent, agent, booker, publicist, promoter, talent coordinator, representative, rep, go-between, negotiator, producer.

adventurer. Also: sensation-seeker, explorer, pacesetter, globetrotter, bird of passage, gadabout, vagabond, gambler – all equally applicable to women or men. "Adventurer" and "adventuress" have different cultural overtones and definitions; the latter seeks to support herself by "questionable means" where the former courts danger and risk. See also feminine word endings.

advertising layout planner/artist.

adzer.

also known as "yes means yes," this principle refers to a clear, unambiguous, and voluntary agreement to engage in specific sexual activity. Laws and policies have been adopted by some states and by some college campuses; verify its status in your area when writing about it.

the people of Afghanistan are called Afghans. Their monetary unit is the afghani.

these are good sex-specific and sex-parallel terms. If you need alternatives, consider fan, enthusiast, devotee, nut, hound, buff.

whenever possible, be specific: name the African country, city, region, or people you're referring to. Africa is the second-largest continent. Zoë Anglesey (in MultiCultural Review). suggests specifying indigenous culture or heritage, for example, "Ibo from Nigeria," "Fon of Dahomey." If you wouldn't say "European" when you mean "German" or "Italian," don't say "African" when you mean "Kenyan" or "Eritrean," etc.

of or pertaining to the continent of Africa or its people or languages, this term is not a synonym for "African American" nor is it a synonym for "black" (not all Africans are black). Whenever possible, use a specific national designation (Tanzanian, Moroccan, Ethiopian). See also Africa, African American, black.

African American and "Black/black" are each preferred/used by some people, and other people will accept either and use both themselves. Not all Black people are African American (if they or their ancestors were born outside the United States) so specify, if relevant, Haitian American or Ghanian American. First, question your need to use either term (would you use be using "European American" or "White/white" in similar material?). Second, when possible, check with those involved about their preference. The most commonly used strategy in many publications is to alternate the terms; there does not seem to be any resulting confusion. Do not hyphenate the noun “African American,” but hyphenate the adjective ("African-American enterprises"). See also African, Afro-American, Black/black (n.), black/black- (adj.), black-and-white (adj.), Negress/Negro.

see womanist.

African American. "Afro-American" is rarely seen and rarely the preferred usage. See also African American, black/Black (n.).

see old, senior/senior citizen.

to avoid a prejudicial image of aging: (1) do not refer to someone's age when it is inappropriate or irrelevant; (2) be respectful of young and old by checking how you'd use the same words for someone in between. (Gerontologist Patricia Moore, in Modern Maturity, says we're the only country in the world that asks age-related questions by using the word "old." In French, the question and answer are: "What age have you?" "I have 53 years." In Italian: "How many years have you?" "I have 53 years." When providing someone's age, use "Rip Van Winkle, 78" instead of "78-year-old Rip Van Winkle." See also adolescent, children, dirty old man, elder/elderly, old, old lady/old man, old maid, old-timer, old woman, oldster, senior/senior citizen, teen/teenager, youth.

aggressive and its more negative synonym "pushy" are often used disparagingly of women, Black women and women of color, and Jews. According to the One Archives Foundation, the term originated “within communities of color to describe a masculine lesbian.” Deborah Tannen (Gender and Discourse ) suggests that the "stereotype of Jews as aggressive and pushy results in part from differences in conversational style." In the lead opinion in the court case of a woman who failed to be named a partner because she was considered too aggressive, Walter Brennan wrote, "An employer who objects to aggressiveness in women but whose positions require this trait places women in an intolerable and impermissible Catch-22: out of a job if they behave aggressively and out of a job if they don't." Pollster Celinda Lake asked observers to rate women and men reading the same text at identical decibel levels. Invariably the women were described as louder, more aggressive, and shrill. Of a related term, actor Marlo Thomas says, "A man has to be Joe McCarthy to be called ruthless. All a woman has to do is put you on hold." See also feisty.

farmer, agriculturist; agribusinesswoman and agribusinessman (both terms have appeared in print). See also farmer, farm wife/farmer's wife.

nursing assistant, nurse assistant, N.A. Traditionally, aides and orderlies did the same work, but all aides were women and all orderlies were men. Most hospitals and nursing homes now use the inclusive terms.