Wikipedia:Words to avoid: Difference between revisions

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There is no word that should ''never'' be used in a Wikipedia article, but somea wordsnumber mayof markexpressions contentiousshould orbe unclearused presentation.with Suchparticular words cancare, ifbecause misused,they conveymay differentbe meaningsregarded as poor style or thanconstitute intendedjargon. PoorlyIt chosenis wordsalmost mayalways subtlypossible promoteto aimprove pointon ofor vieweliminate expressions that are ambiguous, beoffensive, unintentionallyflattering, pejorativecondescending, clichéd, or simplynot beunderstood theoutside productsa ofspecific badgroup. styleConcerning (''e.g.'',matters [[cliché]]s).where there Aare numberknown or likely to be substantial differences of wordsopinion, thatavoid shouldexpressions bethat avoidedsuggest orWikipedia usedsubscribes withto carea arespecific listedpoint hereof view.

==Sorts=Synonyms of termsfor "to avoidsay"===

{{Shortcut|WP:SAY}}{{shortcut|WP:CLAIM}}

A point of view may be implied by using [[loaded language|loaded]] synonyms for the verb "to say." For example, "X noted," "X reported," and "X observed"

imply that X was correct so to note, report, or observe. "Revealed," "pointed out," "exposed," and "surmised" carry similar dangers. On the other hand, synonyms such as "stated" and "argued" express no point of view; "according to" can be used in the same way.

"X claimed" should generally be avoided, because it raises a question, particularly after a factual statement; for example, "Jones came under fire for his use of racial slurs, but in a statement yesterday claimed he was not a racist."

Words and expressions should be '''avoided''' if they are:

# ambiguous, uninformative, or non-specific.

# derogatory or offensive.

# ones that imply that Wikipedia itself, rather than the sources, supports or doubts a viewpoint.

# condescending toward the reader.

# clichéd.

# unnecessarily flattering or positive. ''See'' [[Wikipedia:Avoid peacock terms]].

Words such as "insist," "maintain," "protest," "contend," or "feel" are fine when used appropriately, but be careful not to imply that the subject is irrational for "feeling" or "insisting" something. Similarly, "admit," "confess," or "deny" should be used judiciously, particularly of [[WP:BLP|living persons]], because they can convey guilt. For example, "Supervisors said they knew nothing about the incident" is better than "Supervisors denied all knowledge of the incident," which hints that perhaps they really did know something.

Jargon (that is, words and phrases which are not widely understood outside a specific group, or are understood differently by different people) should be either avoided or explained where possible; ''see'' [[Wikipedia:Explain jargon]]. Similarly, words that have different meanings in different variants of English should be avoided where possible, and briefly explained where their use is essential.

Choose specific nouns and verbs instead of piling on adjectives and adverbs (in a world of hype, understatement can have more impact than overstatement).

On the other hand, words that appear at first to be words to avoid ''may'' be acceptable if they are being used accurately and sparingly.

== Words that may advance a point of view ==

===Synonyms for ''say''===

{{Shortcut|WP:SAY}}

<small>Please also read the [[#top|introduction]] of this guideline on '''words to avoid''' if you came via a direct link to this subsection.</small>

A point of view may be implied by using [[loaded language|loaded]] synonyms for the verb, "to say." Such words are sometimes inserted intentionally to influence the sympathies of the reader, but in many cases their use is the result of well-intentioned editors trying to avoid using the word ''said'', which they perceive as dull or overused. In contrast, readers will probably not even notice it, the word "said" being nearly invisible. However, attempts to correct the overuse "problem" with colorful synonyms for ''said'' probably will be noticed, and may affect the [[WP:NPOV|neutrality]] of the article.

"Said" and "stated" are standard journalistic words. When a statement is unproven or subjective, or when a factual assertion is made without contradiction, use a form of the words ''say'' or ''state'':

* "Critics of contingent fees ''say'' that many lawsuits seem to be brought only to generate fees for lawyers, without providing any benefit to the vast majority of clients."

When a statement is mostly factual but its importance may be disputed, consider using ''argue'' or ''dispute'' instead:

* "Opponents ''argue'' that a requirement to carry an identity card at all times can lead to arbitrary requests from the police."

Only use "cite" when someone cites or quotes another. Words like "report" imply authority, and should be used with care. Many other synonyms for "said" have similar problems, discussed below. To avoid using "said" too often, look for creative ways to rephrase the sentence instead:

* "According to Mayor Bimbsly, it is simply a matter of faith."

* "The official reason appeared in a later press release: 'There will not be a trial, due to a poor response from Asia.'"

====''Claim''====

{{shortcut|WP:CLAIM}}

While the word "claim" may be used appropriately, it can also be misused to cast doubt on an assertion. Editors should avoid this improper usage, and instead choose a neutral alternative.

* Dubious: "Politician Jones has come under fire for his use of racial slurs. Jones issued a statement in which he ''claims'' that he is not a racist." [A fact followed by a "claim" leaves readers inclined to believe the fact and disbelieve the claim.]

* Instead: "Jones said in a statement, 'I am not and have never been a racist.'"

"Claim" can be appropriate for characterizing both sides of a subjective debate or disagreement. Do not use "claim" for one side and a different verb for the other, as that could imply that one has more merit.

Acceptable use:

* "Scholar Smith ''claims'' that absolute truth cannot exist. Philosopher Peters ''claims'' that it must exist in order for the universe to function."

* "The only two eyewitnesses disagree about a key element of the crime. Witness Wendy ''claims'' that a tall, thin man with dark hair drove the getaway car. Witness Walter ''claims'' that the driver was short, pudgy, and blond."

Other definitions of "claim," particularly in a legal sense, are widely acceptable.

Acceptable use:

* "According to X Corp.'s ''claim'', Y Corp. inflicted $2 million of damages on it by infringing its patents." [Because we are discussing a [[Claim (legal)|legal claim]], this terminology is not only acceptable, but also the most precise.]

====''Point out'', ''note'', ''observe'', ''reveal'', ''expose'', ''report'', ''surmise'' ====

These words often favor one side in a dispute by giving their arguments extra weight or making them seem more factual or authoritative:

* "Critics of contingent fees ''point out'' that many lawsuits generate fees for lawyers without providing any benefit to the vast majority of clients."

At other times, they are used to introduce statements that may indeed be factual, but which opponents may not consider important or relevant:

* "Opponents ''note'' that a requirement to carry an identity card at all times can lead to arbitrary requests from the police."

Verbs such as ''reveal'' and ''expose'' can imply that what is reported is not only true, but also was previously being hidden.

Similarly, the verb ''report'' can bestow a sense of impartiality or objectivity on an unreliable source, such as a political action committee, a government press agency, or a spoof news source, that may be inappropriate:

*"The Korean Central News Agency ''reported'' that North Korea had launched its first satellite into orbit." [Use ''announced'', ''stated'', or ''said''.]

*"''The Enquirer'' article ''reported'' that the President met with space aliens to discuss the surrender of Earth." [Use ''said'', ''stated'', or ''indicated'']

====''Insist'', ''maintain'', ''protest'', ''contend'', ''feel''====

These words often make the party appear defensive:

* "Salafis ''insist'' that Salafism is not a purely Arabian movement."

The word ''feel'' can be appropriate for subjective experiences, but it is inappropriate for objective observations and can make the subject seem irrational:

* "Critics ''feel'' it is used to dismiss any censure of the United States as irrational."

====''Admit'', ''confess'', ''deny''====

The use of these words should be given careful consideration, especially in the context of [[WP:BLP|biographies of living persons]], because they can convey an implicit impression of guilt, or suggest that the truth is being hidden or ignored. Their negative use ("he denied", "she did not admit", "he has not confessed") should be avoided except where the factuality of the assertion is verifiable and uncontroversial, or where a legal conviction has been made. Positive constructions using these words, such as "She ''admitted'' poor judgment", are usually unproblematic.

Dubious use:

*"[[O. J. Simpson]] has not ''admitted'' any guilt in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman." [He was acquitted.]

*"Supervisors ''denied'' having any prior knowledge of the incidents." [Use "... said they had no prior knowledge ..."]

*"Councilman Smith ''denied'' the accusations of involvement in bootlegging operations."

Acceptable use:

*"[[Scott Peterson]] has not ''confessed'' any guilt in the murder of his pregnant wife." [He was convicted.]

*"Smith ''said'' of the accusations: 'This deplorable attack on my character is entirely without merit.'" [The quotation should be cited.]

The last example illustrates the benefit of providing a direct quote.

Other acceptable uses include situations involving unproved or disproved ideas and [[WP:fringe theories|fringe theories]], in which the words are used not to presume guilt, but to note that an assertion is known to be incorrect or without consensus. For example:

*"[[Moon landing conspiracy theories|Apollo Moon landing hoax accusers]] ''deny'' evidence that manned space missions successfully visited the lunar surface."

*"Pope Urban III ''refused to admit'' the mobility of Earth as described by the [[heliocentrism|heliocentric]] models of Copernicus and [[Galileo Galilei|Galileo]]."

===Words that may introduce bias===

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The use of certain adverbs requires care in encyclopedic writing, as they can imply an opinion or viewpoint without providing a source for it.

====''Fundamentally'', ''essentially'', ''basically'', ''simply'', ''at heart'', ''inherently''====

Adverbs such as these tend to imply a preferred viewpoint: the "fundamental nature" of a topic is inherently subjective.