Breaking Stereotypes: Cambridge Dictionary Updates ‘Man’ and ‘Woman’ Definition

Cambridge University Press has announced the planned release of a new edition of the Cambridge Dictionary, which will be updated to include more than 2,000 new words.

The English language remains a living, breathing entity that evolves at a rapid pace, and Cambridge University Press must ensure that its products reflect the latest trends.

Cambridge University Press typically updates its dictionaries every eight years but has decided to release an updated version of the dictionary next year, following a thorough review of usage patterns and emerging language.

The new edition of the dictionary includes entries for gender-neutral words such as ‘mankind’ and ‘womankind’ as well as words that have been adopted from other languages such as ‘Brexit’ and ‘OK Google’.

Additionally, the new edition will be expanded to include topics such as technology and environmental issues to reflect how society is changing and the evolution of language.

While the decision to update the dictionary was made in consultation with the editorial advisory board of Cambridge University Press, the move has received some criticism.

Some have argued that updating the dictionary will alienate older generations who rely on more traditional definitions and that students learning English for the first time will find that the updated version of the dictionary is difficult to understand.

However, this criticism ignores the overwhelming support for updating the definition of words in the dictionary. According to a recent survey commissioned by Cambridge University Press, more than 70% of people supported the move to update the dictionary, indicating that the change represents the will of the majority of society.

Cambridge Dictionary just dropped a new definition of "woman." pic.twitter.com/qDb17DJP5H

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) December 12, 2022

It is argued that the new definitions of words like “husband”, “wife”, “girl” and “boy” are essential to recognize the fact that gender roles are no longer defined solely based on a person’s biological sex. Many feminists have argued that the language that we use to describe people can be divisive and stereotyping and it is important to be more inclusive when using the language that we speak.