Skunked term
Word avoided due to problematic meanings From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Word avoided due to problematic meanings From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A skunked term is a word or phrase that becomes difficult to use because it is evolving from one meaning to another, perhaps inconsistent or even opposite, usage,[1] or that becomes difficult to use due to other controversy surrounding the term.[2] Purists may insist on the old usage, while descriptivists may be more open to newer usages. Readers may not know which sense is meant especially when prescriptivists insist on a meaning that accords with interests that often conflict.[citation needed]
The term was coined by the lexicographer Bryan A. Garner in Garner's Modern American Usage and has since been adopted by some other style guides.[2]
Garner recommends avoiding such terms if their use may distract readers from the intended meaning of a text.[3]
Some terms, such as "fulsome", may become skunked, and then eventually revert to their original meaning over time.[4]
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