Cambridge Dictionary alters definition of 'man' and 'woman'

The Cambridge Dictionary has quietly updated its definition of "man" and "woman" to include anyone who "identifies as male/female" regardless of their sex at birth.

The inclusion of transgender people in its definition of "man" and "woman" occurred quietly in October after editors studied how the words were being used throughout society.

Underneath the existing primary definition of "woman" as an "adult female human being" is "an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth".

The dictionary provides several examples of using 'woman' in a sentence, including: "She's a really nice woman," "She was the first trans woman elected to a national office" and "Apparently, Jeff has a new woman."

Cambridge Dictionary similarly updated its definition of "man". Underneath the primary definition of "an adult male human being" is written, "an adult who lives and identifies as male though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth".

The examples it gives are, "Steve can solve anything - the man's a genius" and "Their doctor encouraged them to live as a man for a while before undergoing surgical transition."

A Cambridge Dictionary spokesperson told the Telegraph UK the definition was altered after they "carefully studied usage patterns of the word 'woman' and concluded the definition is one that learners of English should be aware of to support their understanding of how the language is used."

In 2020, Merriam-Webster included an additional definition for "female" as "having a gender identity that is the opposite of male".

The Oxford dictionary also altered its definition of "woman" to include they could be "a person’s wife, girlfriend, or female lover”, not only a man’s. The entry for "man" was also changed to include gender-neutral language in the example of a relationship.