Alphabetical Entries: D

debutant, except where "debutante" is still used for a young woman making her formal debut into society. See also feminine word endings.

people are not "defective" and they do not have "defects"; they have disabilities. When necessary and relevant, specify the disability, using people-first language. See also birth defect, disabilities.

military spending.

defense, defensive/defense player. Or, use specific term: goalie, goalkeeper, goaltender, guard, linebacker. See also lineman (sports).

people are not "deformed," nor do they have "deformities"; they are people with orthopedic or physical disabilities. When a body part does not have the typical or expected shape, the deformity most often does not need to be mentioned. When it does, never used "deformed" as an adjective to describe a person, only a specific body part ("a deformed arm"). When possible and necessary, ask the individual in question how they describe it. See also disabilities.

deliverer, delivery driver/clerk, merchandise deliverer, porter, messenger, carrier, courier, runner; delivery truck/system.

the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 4th ed., says the term "dementia" is preferred to "senility." Senility denotes conditions brought on by aging, not dementia. Dementia is not a specific illness, but refers to a wide range of symptoms, and is “a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, although there are others. Refer to someone as having dementia only if the information is relevant to the story and a licensed medical professional has formally diagnosed the person. And use people-first language, such as “a person with dementia." See also Alzheimer's disease, senility.

leave as is because of its specific meaning and lack of alternatives. The word is actually a mistranslation of the French "dame-jeanne" meaning Lady Jane.

if you mean prostitute, use prostitute. If you mean someone on the fringes of society, use lowlife, riffraff, outcast, down-and-outer.

an epithet for the Democratic Party of the United States, used disparagingly by opponents. Place "Democrat" in quotes when used.

demolitionist, demolitions expert.

if there are any demure men, nobody is saying so. Consider more sex-neutral alternatives: retiring, bashful, modest, diffident, reticent, taciturn.

should you need a sex-neutral alternative: den/group leader.

this word means to blacken someone metaphorically (the root word is "nigr-" for black). If you don't like the sound of it, consider: disparage, defame, belittle, run down, revile, vilify, criticize, speak ill of, put down, do a hatchet job on, badmouth.

overthrow. Sometimes "destabilize" means what you think it means. However, in a political or military reference to a regime, avoid the euphemism in favor of the clearer term, "overthrow."

a special category of captured enemy combatants, detainees are neither prisoners of war nor suspects in criminal cases. The Geneva Conventions protect "prisoners of war" but say nothing about "detainees," and suspects in criminal cases go to trial. By using the term "detainee," the U.S. government has been able to keep detainees from being tried and has excluded them from the protections of the Geneva Conventions. Because the very same individuals may be enemy combatants, detainees, prisoners of war, criminals, or unlawful enemy combatants (and their fate depends on what they are called), ascertain their exact status instead of using the information-poor "detainee."

this Latin phrase, "god from a machine" (because sometimes in Greek and Roman plays a god arrived onstage by means of a crane to produce a "providential" ending), is appropriate for either sex. However, since deus is in the masculine gender and since it is used most often in masculine contexts, sometimes you may want an alternative: last-minute rescuer, eleventh-hour deliverer; contrived solution.

see Third World.

although you can use the adjectival phrase "developmentally disabled" if space requires it, it is preferable to use "person/child with a developmental disability" or to name the specific disability (autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, hearing/intellectual/visual disabilities) using people-first language. See also disabilities, people-first language.

unacceptable when used to describe human beings or their behavior. Although behavior may deviate from some statistical norm for human activity, it's an oddity of our perspective that we pick and choose whom to label: we do not routinely refer to murderers or terrorists as deviants, but so label lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and others. Once labeled deviants, individuals become stigmatized, censured, and penalized. See also dysfunctional.

devil/it. Our idea of the devil is so male that we use a prefix ("she-devil") when we want to convey anything else. Nothing but human imagination accounts for the maleness of the devil; the same is true of the maleness of God. Both misattributions of maleness have been harmful to society, to women, and to men.

woman or man. Unlike similar words borrowed from French—divorcé/divorcée, fiancé/fiancée, habitué, protegé/protegée—this one is used in the feminine form and without its accent for both sexes. Some have suggested using "-ee" for all such words, as is done with "employee."

at least consider the source of this inane and demeaning expression: a 1930s DeBeers diamonds ad campaign.

this slang term can mean: (1) detective (if you want alternatives use gumshoe, private eye, tail, shadow, flatfoot); (2) penis (leave as is); (3) offensive person. Dick Hannasch adds that "Dick is also a nice name."

see disabilities.