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Change Merrian-Webster's Definition of Nigger

27 Comments

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Patricia Lomax
1 year ago

This word was once defined as an ignorant person…Why did it change?

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Rg
2 years ago

This needs to change. The definition in the 70's was an ignorant person. This new definition is a disgrace

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Steven Bunten
2 years ago

I remember the definition being - A uneducated/illiterate person. Nowhere in the original definition does it say anything about race or color and now seeing what they've changed the definition to what it is now makes me sick

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Anonymous
2 years ago

The definition of this word is not correct and needs to change back to the original meaning.

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Sharon
4 years ago

This needs to change. The definition in the 70's was an ignorant person.

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Sandra Benbow
6 years ago Featured

I too remember the definition being described as an ignorant person and showed it and taught it to my now adult children when they were young. This NEW definition is DEFINITELY a disgrace! To make it so pretty, I HAVE YET TO FIND THE OLD DEFINITION ANYWHERE ON THE INTERNET. I even found where it read that the definition was NEVER that of any ignorant person and has always been a been a black or dark skinned person! To continue to insult the intelligence of my people is terrible! I’m hoping this petition recirculates NON STOP in order for this definition to go back to its original! If anyone can scrape up a old dictionary that’ll be great!

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Angela Bland
6 years ago

THE WORD ASSOCIATES WITH A RUDE ACTING PERSON BAD BEHAVIOR. TO ME!!

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Geneva Rawlings
9 years ago Featured

I remember this word meaning " a person of ignorance", allowing everyone to be one. Though still an ugly word, its even uglier knowing that it is solely targeting dark/ black people.

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Tamara Mayo
9 years ago Featured

So incredibly offensive! This is why we Black publishers need to come together and start publishing dictionaries and other literature under our companies. My company will definitely be publishing dictionaries and thesauruses to rival these racist companies.

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Gwendolyn Lewis
9 years ago

It's highly offensive & so wrong on every level

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Sandra Scott
10 years ago

African American

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Zada
10 years ago

This is blatantly disrespectful to my people and you all should be Ashamed! Change is needed now !

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Erin Piepgrass
10 years ago Featured

There are a lot of words in the English language whose definitions are ever-evolving; however, this new "definition" just DEvolved the term, and the weighty social implications associated with it, by about 60 years...

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Nisa Brice
10 years ago

Merriam Webster should be ashamed of themselves for allowing such an offensive derogatory definition to exist within its publication.

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Erka Diggs
10 years ago

When was this changed? It should be put back as it was. Why it have to classify blacks

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Corey Newton
10 years ago

PLease change

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Valerie White
10 years ago

People who did this have to have regressed into an oblivion of ignorance!

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Erica
10 years ago

The definition should read: An ignorant person.

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Anonymous
10 years ago

Please remove this definition- it is degrading, humiliating and not accurate.

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Lorraine Thomas
10 years ago Featured

This definition is inaccurate and offensive. This is a derogatory and racist TERM referencing a black person, but it certainly is NOT what defines a black person. Change this now!