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Cambridge Dictionary was accused of bowing to “some awakened activists” today after it updated its definition of “woman” to include anyone who “identifies as a woman.”
A supplementary definition in the online dictionary now states that the word can mean “an adult who lives and identifies as a female, even though said to have a different sex at birth.”
Usage examples include “Mary is a female assigned male at birth” and “She was the first trans woman elected to national office.”
The entry for ‘male’ has also been updated to include people who were of a ‘different sex at birth’.
Cambridge Dictionary was accused of bowing to “some awakened activists” today after it updated its definition of “woman” to include anyone who “identifies as a woman.”
Free Speech Union founder Toby Young warned dictionary compilers that they had fallen on a “slippery slope”.
“It’s disappointing to see identity politics creeping into the way a dictionary defines words,” he said.
‘The claim that these complementary definitions of “female” and “male” are based on “carefully studied usage patterns” does not seem plausible. Who, apart from a few awakened activists, defines “woman” and “man” in this way?
“I suspect that this new definition has been introduced as a result of lobbying by political activists, a slippery slope that no dictionary should descend.”
Chris McGovern of the Campaign for Real Education said the ‘female’ designation should have come with a caveat as the definition is disputed.
He added: ‘Since it is a contested definition, the dictionary should indicate that it is a contested definition.
‘The danger is that it will give the green light to what is happening in primary schools, where parents are already concerned that children will be confused from an early age.
“This will fuel the debate and cause more unhappiness among children who will question their own identities.” The update would give the new description legitimacy, as dictionary definitions are considered ‘holy scripture,’ she added.
Maya Forstater, chief executive of campaign group Sex Matters, told The Daily Telegraph: ‘The main dictionary definition remains female and male adult human. This is also the legal definition and the one most people understand.
“People have always used words in different ways, and the dictionary reflects that.”
But Dr. Jane Hamlin, president of the transgender and nonbinary support group The Beaumont Society, described the addition as “good news.”
She said: ‘A lot of misinformation and rubbish has been written lately about the definitions of ‘male’ and ‘female’, but these definitions are clear, concise and correct. Congratulations to the Cambridge Dictionary team.’ The main dictionary entry for women is still ‘adult female human being’.
‘Male’ is defined as ‘an adult human being’ and ‘the human race’, while the new supplemental definition adds that it can also mean ‘an adult who lives and identifies as a man, even though said to be of a different sex’ at birth’.
Users are given the examples ‘Mark is a trans man (=a man who was said to be a woman when he was born)’ and ‘their doctor encouraged them to live as men for a while before undergoing surgical transition’.
Earlier this year, Merriam-Webster included a new supplemental definition of ‘female’ that read ‘having a gender identity opposite to that of the male’.
Many took to Twitter today to criticize the dictionary for its “circular logic.”
Many took to Twitter today to criticize the dictionary for its “circular logic.”
‘The Cambridge Dictionary has changed its definition of ‘woman’ to include men who call themselves women,’ @therealmissjo tweeted.
‘Soon people will say ‘this has always been the definition of a woman’. This is how this works. Very 1984-esque.’
User @Raku______ said: ‘Cambridge Dictionary decided that it is no longer aligned with reality.’
‘Any noun in the Cambridge Dictionary is now open to interpretation,’ @NickKao13 repeated. ‘What is an architect? “Anyone who creates an architect.”
Shannon Edwards argued: “I’m already sorry I went down the Cambridge Dictionary rabbit hole… but I think it’s clear that they’ve officially cracked the dictionary.”
“Circular logic has made it to the Cambridge Dictionary,” @kellykreads wrote. ‘Incredible.’
Another Twitter user added: “Short version: Cambridge Dictionary definition of ‘woman’ – ‘Whatever you think she is’.”
Earlier this year, Merriam-Webster included a new supplemental definition of ‘female’ that read ‘having a gender identity opposite to that of the male’.
The heated debate over the definition of ‘woman’ accelerated when JK Rowling mocked the use of the term ‘menstruating people’.
It was ‘canceled’ in some quarters, and many of the actors in the Harry Potter film series also spoke out against it.
Graphic T-shirts with dictionary-style text reading “Female/noun/adult human female” have added to the controversy, with critics saying it discriminates against transgender people.
A woman was banned from a pub after a complaint that it was offensive.
A Cambridge Dictionary spokesperson said: ‘Our editors made this addition to the ‘woman’ entry in October.
“They carefully studied the patterns of use of the word ‘woman’ and concluded that this definition is one that English learners should know to support their understanding of how the language is used.
‘The first definition in the entry for “female” remains unchanged and remains “an adult female human.”
‘Our dictionaries are written for learners of English and are designed to help users understand English as it is currently used.
‘They are compiled by analyzing a large corpus of English texts (more than two billion words in total) taken from all areas of writing and publishing, allowing us to see exactly how the language is used.
“We regularly update our dictionary to reflect changes in the way English is used, based on analysis of data from this corpus.”