Cambridge Dictionary has reportedly changed the definitions of “man” and “woman” genders.
The definition of man or woman, which previously was about the sex a person was born as, but it is now about “who lives and identifies as male of female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.”
According to the new definition, a man is now defined as “an adult who lives and identifies as male though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth,” while a woman is also “an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.”
The changes have met with criticisms on social media by Twitter users who argued that redefining society’s categorization of gender and sex is harmful and inaccurate.
Christopher Rufo, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, tweeted. “Cambridge Dictionary just dropped a new definition of ‘woman’.”
Rufo also pointed out that the dictionary used the pronoun “they” to describe the subject rather than “she”.
“Notice that the dictionary writers say ‘they may have been.’ They couldn’t bring themselves to write ‘she may have been,’ because they know they’re lying. That’s the tell,” he tweeted.
Adam Brooks, a British social commentator, questioned whether women are happy with the change.
He wrote: “Oh wow, the @CambridgeWords dictionary definition of a woman is shocking, how did we get here? Surely women aren’t happy with this?”
Dan McLaughin, a senior writer at National Review, argued the change is Orwellian.
“1984 wasn’t supposed to be a how-to manual,” he tweeted.