Dictionary definition of woman

[MiddlesexGirl]

Interesting piece in the DT today .....
OED have changed some of their 'woman' definitions but it seems they haven't included transgender women under the definition. It's not entirely clear. Does anyone know?

The definition of transwoman would be in a different part of the dictionary to that of woman.

A 'transgender woman' would be a woman who identifies as transgender, eg a transman or a non-binary person observed female at birth. 'Transman' would - I hope! - be included under examples of 'woman'.

'Transwoman' would be included under a different word nearer the middle of the dictionary.

But what do words mean, anyway. We're in Looking Glass Land these days.

depict women in a positive and active manner

Really? Is that what you are going to do? Waiting in anticipation for women to be depicted in a positive and active manner!

It will be a welcome relief from all this erasure and diminishment of humans of the female sex.

This has also been covered in the Daily Fishwrap, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8923283/Oxford-English-Dictionary-updates-entry-woman-defined-persons-wife.html?offset=148&max=100&jumpTo=comment-614427093&reply=614427093

The comments are ridiculous though, claiming that the definition of woman has changed. It has not.

I was pleased when I looked up their definition of transwoman recently. It retained the single word format and didn’t claim a transwoman was a woman. I hope it continues to reflect real world use.

The dictionary entry is extremely long.

I recommend everyone to sign into the OED online, just use your library card number, and look yourself.

There are hundreds of examples of the use of the word "woman" to plough through.

The comments are ridiculous though, claiming that the definition of woman has changed.

Haha. Yes a fair few that don't understand how dictionaries work!

I do check up on dictionary definitions sometimes.

@Gncq

The dictionary entry is extremely long.

I recommend everyone to sign into the OED online, just use your library card number, and look yourself.

There are hundreds of examples of the use of the word "woman" to plough through.

Thanks for the screenshot. I was trying to remember where my library card was

I've read 3 different articles about this, but nowhere does it say what the new definition is. Unfortunately the print in the screenshot up thread is too small for me to read!

But have concerns as this is what the woman who started the petition said at the time:

... Giovanardi said that until she started researching the campaign, she was unaware that the dictionary definition of woman is used as a slogan by anti-trans campaigners.
“Women = adult human female” was a slogan begun by Posie Parker, a “gender critical” activist. It has since been seen on t-shirts, placards, and flags – and “Adult Human Female” is often included in the social-media bios of those with “gender critical”, anti-trans, or transphobic views.
“We do not support anti-trans campaigners nor do we have any affiliation with reactionary, regressive anti-trans voices,” Giovanardi said. ...

A lot of people signed the petition without bothering to read what she said in full. They just got caught up in snappy headlines about getting rid of the word bitch.

Not surprised that WEP signed the letter in March as they dont know what a woman is. But disheartening to say that anyone (particularly as they are only "acting" their position) should have signed the letter.

...nor do we have any affiliation with reactionary, regressive anti-trans voices,” Giovanardi said. ...

Ironic, given that trans ideology and TRA voices are reactionary and regressive.

I don't think there's a new definition as such.
The main one 'adult human female' is still the first one.
Followed by very many other uses of the word, some of which have been revised as a result of this petition. From what I have read, I don't have issue with the revisions as they seem to be reducing sexist and misogynist uses of the word.
Cross referencing 'female' does give something along the lines of the sex that gives birth and produces eggs.

It seems the problem was that derogatory slurs like 'bitch' were treated by the dictionary as synonyms for 'woman' so she wanted to get rid of words like 'bitch', 'bint', 'mare' etc. being defined as 'woman'. Which is fair enough - 'dickhead' isn't a synonym for 'man', for example. It does seem sexist to say that another word for woman is 'bitch'. However, smuggled into this admittedly reasonable campaign was a call to 'enlarge the definition of woman' and to include examples of transgender women.