nonpejorative

Nonpejorative is an adjective used in linguistics and discourse analysis to describe language that does not express contempt, insult, or demeaning intent toward a person or group. It contrasts with pejorative language, which carries or incurs negative evaluation, stigma, or hostility. A term can be considered nonpejorative depending on context, audience, and purpose; the same word may be nonpejorative in one setting and pejorative in another, or may shift over time due to social change.

In usage, scholars distinguish nonpejorative descriptors that foreground respect, personhood, and factual description from labels that reduce someone to a stereotype or insult. Nonpejorative language often favors person-first constructions and neutral nouns, although preferences vary across communities and genres. For example, in professional or academic writing, terms that describe identity or condition are chosen for accuracy and respect, avoiding gratuitous or demeaning framing. However, determining whether a term is nonpejorative can be contested, because groups may reclaim terms that were once pejorative, and audiences may associate different connotations with the same word.

Etymology: the term is formed from the prefix non- meaning not, and pejorative from Latin pejorare 'to make worse' or 'to belittle.' Related concepts include pejoration (the process by which a word acquires a more negative sense) and reclaimed terms, where a previously offensive label is adopted by a community in a nonpejorative way.

See also: neutral terminology, pejoration, reclaimed terms, respectful language.