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Backlash As Cambridge Dictionary Tweaks Woman, Man’s Definitions

Published

3 years ago

December 14, 2022

Cambridge Dictionary has come under heavy criticism after it updated its definitions of woman and man.

The dictionary updated its definition of ‘woman’ to include anyone who ‘identifies as female’, Daily Mail reports.

A supplementary definition in the online dictionary now states the word can mean ‘an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth’.

Examples of usage include ‘Mary is a woman who was assigned male at birth’ and ‘she was the first trans woman elected to a national office’.

The entry for ‘male’ has also been updated to include individuals who had a ‘different sex at birth’, according to the report.

‘Man’ is defined as ‘an adult human being’ and ‘the human race’, while the new supplementary definition adds that it can also mean ‘an adult who lives and identifies as male though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth’.

Users are given the examples ‘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’.

Earlier this year, Merriam-Webster included a new supplementary definition of ‘female’ which stated ‘having a gender identity that is the opposite of male’.

Reacting to the new development, Free Speech Union founder Toby Young said the dictionary compilers had gone down a ‘slippery slope’.

“It’s disappointing to see identity politics creeping into the way a dictionary defines words,’ he said.

“The claim that these supplementary definitions of “woman” and “man” are based on “carefully studied usage patterns” doesn’t seem plausible. Who, apart from a few woke activists, define “woman” and “man” this way?

“I suspect this new definition has been introduced as a result of lobbying by political activists, a slippery slope that no dictionary should go down.”

Chris McGovern of the Campaign for Real Education said the designation for ‘woman’ should have come with a warning as the definition is disputed.

“Since it’s a contested definition, the dictionary should state that it’s a contested definition.

“The danger is it will give a green light to what’s going on in primary schools where parents are already worried that children are becoming confused from an early age.

“This will fuel the debate and cause further unhappiness among children who will question their own identities.’ The update would give the new description legitimacy as dictionary definitions are regarded as ‘holy writ’, he added.

But Dr Jane Hamlin, president of transgender and non-binary support group The Beaumont Society, described the addition as ‘good news’.

She said: ‘There has been so much disinformation and rubbish written about definitions of “man” and “woman” lately but these definitions are clear, concise and correct. Congratulations to Cambridge Dictionary team.’ The dictionary’s main entry for woman remains an ‘adult female human being’.
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Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

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Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

4 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

4 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.