Welcome to the Treehouse Community
Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.
Looking to learn something new?
Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.
Start your free trial
Pedro Adrián Legua Ocharán
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 26,772 Pointsso the definition in the dictionary is wrong?
because in the official dictionary of the english language it says literally: "gender noun gender noun(sex) the physical and/or social condition of being male or female" do you mean we have to ignore the official statement of the meaning of a word made for decades of society? one that hasn't still change in the official document of the english language?
2 Answers
Steven Parker
231,268 PointsI'd be curious as to which source you are calling the "official dictionary of the english language". But even your quote contains what must be a relatively recent revision of "and/or social condition".
The first definition in Google dictionary (provided by Oxford Languages, the world’s leading dictionary publisher) contains "...with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones". Given that stipulation, the expansion beyond binary values is not such a big leap.
I got the impression that the course was suggesting an expansion of the traditional meaning rather that ignoring or discarding it.
Michael Harrison
30,900 PointsIt is also useful to remember that the people who assemble dictionaries tend to view their task as one of reflecting how words are used, rather than of dictating what is and is not correct usage.
Pedro Adrián Legua Ocharán
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 26,772 PointsPedro Adrián Legua Ocharán
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 26,772 Pointswell I was refering the Cambridge dictionary. but also looked the one you were talking about and also says "...either of the two sexes (male and female)..." as the first part of that same definition. But it makes sense if you say in the video they ask us to expand the definition and no discarding it. thanks for your apport and blow away my doubts :).