August 28, 2013
Modern Marriage: Oxford Dictionary Now Includes Same-Sex Spouses
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
It may seem like a small change in the wake of legislation granting equal rights, but the fact remains that millions of children around the world will be brought up with a definition of marriage that is LGBT-inclusive.
According to Gay Star News, the Oxford Dictionary, the largest and most renowned dictionary of the English language, has changed its definition of marriage to include gay couples.
The addendum, first reported on Aug. 25, has been effective immediately on OED's website and will be printed on every future edition.
The makers of OED added "the relation between persons married to each other' to its definition 'the condition of being a husband or wife," and it also now has the note "the term is now sometimes used with reference to long-term relationships between partners of the same sex."
"We continually monitor the words in our dictionaries, paying particular attention to those words whose usage is shifting, so yes, this will happen with marriage," a spokesperson for Oxford Dictionary told GSN.
In July, Queen Elizabeth II approved same-sex marriage in England and Wales into law. Marriages will start in 2014.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
