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political correctitude

political correctitude

8.2
A way of avoiding words and actions that hurt or leave out people treated unfairly
  • noun
  • /pəˈlɪtɪkəl kəˈrɛktɪtud/
translation icon : correctitud política
  • He questioned whether political correctitude actually fosters greater understanding among people.

Examples

  • The company's policy emphasizes political correctitude in all employee communications.

  • The concept of political correctitude is often debated in modern society.

  • Some critics argue that political correctitude has gone too far in restricting free speech.

  • Many people believe that political correctitude can limit free speech.

  • The company implemented new guidelines to ensure political correctitude in their advertising campaigns.

  • She believes that political correctitude is essential for promoting inclusivity in the workplace.

  • Critics argue that the push for political correctitude limits honest discussions about controversial topics.

Synonyms

political correctness
vspolitical correctitude
28 5.3

Avoiding language or behaviour that could offend groups of people

focuses on being an ongoing practice of avoiding exclusion or insult

Antonyms

7.5

To use words or actions that offend people who face unfair treatment

How Sensitive

language police
  • Offensive
1 8.1
political correctitude
8.2
to mind one's language
  • Informal
1 7.2
indifference
71 4.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

political + correctitude

The phrase is a straightforward composition of 'political' (relating to politics) + 'correctitude' (adherence to norms of proper behavior), so its meaning — adherence to norms or avoidance of offensive language in political contexts — is directly derivable from the parts. It follows a common ADJ+NOUN pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Political correctitude comes from the idea that language in political life should be correctitude, meaning chosen so it does not hurt or 'exclude' people. So today political correctitude means using words and actions that try to avoid insulting or leaving out groups who are treated unfairly.