Cambridge Dictionary changes the definition of ‘woman’ and ‘man’ to include transgender

The Cambridge Dictionary has changed the definition of “man” and “woman” to include a new definition for people who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth.

The definition of “man” is now “an adult who lives and identifies as a male though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth” and that of a “woman” now reads: “An adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.”

Along with the definition, the dictionary also gave two examples to explain the meanings. For ‘man’, the examples read: “Mark is a trans man (= a man who was said to be female when they were born)” and “Their doctor encouraged them to live as a man for a while before undergoing surgical transition” or ‘woman’, the examples are: “She was the first trans woman elected to a national office” and “Mary is a woman who was assigned male at birth”.

Meanwhile, the first definition at the entry for woman remains unchanged and continues to be “an adult female human being” and man “an adult male human being.”

The previous definitions assumed that sex and gender identity always adhered to one another. The new definitions, however, are inclusive of trans people.

Speaking about these updates, a Cambridge Dictionary spokesperson told international media outlet; The Telegraph, that editors of the dictionary made the addition to the entry for woman in October 2022.

On the other hand, social media users have conflicting opinions about the most recent definitional adjustments.

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