badthey

Badthey is an informal term used in online discussions about pronouns and gender-inclusive language. It does not refer to a formal linguistic category; rather it is a label used to describe certain uses of the pronoun they/them that some readers consider incorrect, inconsistent, or disrespectful when referring to a single person or to a known individual. In practice, “badthey” may denote a variety of issues, including pronoun-antecedent agreement errors in singular references, misgendering by substituting gendered terms, or the policing of pronouns in ways that some find manipulative or hostile.

Origins of the term are informal and not standardized, with appearances in social media threads and online discussions during the growth of debates over singular they and nonbinary pronouns in the 2010s and 2020s. The label is used both descriptively—by critics who point to specific examples of what they consider careless usage—and prescriptively by some communities who advocate greater sensitivity and consistency in pronoun usage. Critics of the term argue that it can function as gatekeeping and a way to police language rather than address substantive questions of respect and identity. Proponents say that it helps users discuss patterns of usage that can cause confusion or offense when pronouns do not clearly reflect a person’s identity.

The concept intersects with broader debates about singular they, pronoun etiquette, and inclusive language. In formal linguistics, singular they is widely analyzed as a natural part of the language system, which informs many but not all uses labeled by online commentators as “badthey.” See also: singular they, gender-neutral pronouns, pronoun usage.