Since the Prime Minister’s anti-sexism tirade last week, misogyny has become the biggest buzz word of the year.
We’ve read and heard it more times than we’ve bothered to learn to spell it — and a lot of us probably don’t even really understand what it means.
Related: Was the PM’s tirade at Abbott justified?
Well even if you did, forget everything you thought you knew about misogyny, because ever so timely, the Australian Macquarie Dictionary has decided to update the meaning of the word, broadening its definition.
The word and its meaning have been the subject of great scrutiny as the debate over sexism and misogyny continues to boil, and now Macquarie Dictionary editor Susan Butler has chimed in on the argument as well.
“The established meaning of misogyny is ‘hatred of women’, but this goes back to the 1600s in English and that acquired the status of a psychological term,” she said in a statement.
“Since the 1980s, misogyny has come to be used as a synonym for sexism — a synonym with bite but nevertheless with the meaning of ‘entrenched prejudice against women’ rather than ‘pathological hatred’.”
Considering its current use for an underlying frame of mind or attitude of which sexism is the outward form, the Macquarie Dictionary has decided a second definition is necessary.
One which is “slightly stronger than sexist but heading in that direction towards entrenched prejudice rather than just visceral hatred,” Ms Butler said.
While the updated meaning may be more accurate for its use today, the update, obviously inspired by Julia Gillard’s use of it in relation to Tony Abbott and the world’s reaction, won’t please everyone.
Related: Gillard takes a tumble
Federal MP Bronwyn Bishop accused dictionary of robbing the language of a word to describe what is truly the hatred of women.
“It is improper to change the meaning of a word simply because Julia Gillard doesn’t understand the correct meaning and usage of the words,” she said.
Your say: Do you think the word misogyny needs to be updated? Do you think it is overused?
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