Nowadays, the words, “really” or “literally”, are buzzwords, like “racist” or “fascist”. They’re either completely meaningless, or their current “definitions” are so distorted from their original ones that they may as well be meaningless.
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Nevertheless, the dictionary is the authority concerning the correct meaning of words.
If someone declares that a furry anime drawing is a “child,” show them a photograph of a bear cub and ask them if that is also a “child.”
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Not always. I forget the word, but one of those online dictionaries completely changed the meaning of it.
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I usually check with the Oxford English Dictionary. Generally considered THE authority on the English language.
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There is no authoritative English dictionary.
I find it best practice to go with what is generally a plurality between Oxford, Cambridge, and Merriam-Webster’s, and Collins’ dictionaries.
Oxford’s dictionary claims that pornography is ‘devoid of artistic value’ but also posits this with a statement that, in this context, the term is derogatory, which the etymology of the term tends to emphasize.
Webster’s is value-neutral, while Cambridge is flat-out value-negative but makes no attempt to clarify that in it.
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Tell me you’ve never looked up a medical term in a dictionary without telling me you’ve never looked up a medical term in a dictionary
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I was always taught that the Oxford was the ultimate authority on the English language.
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Rule 34 users continue to report cub posts even tho the site only bans human loli/shota. On these posts, I typically comment something like:
Friendly reminder that cub’s not against tos.
One such comment of mine currently has 46 up votes. The comment that responded to me under that post:
Unfriendly reminder, and it should be an unfriendly reminder, that you should stay away from children.
Has 57 upvotes, but all I’m thinking is:
Wouldn’t it make more sense to tell me to stay away from cartoon puppies?
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