pejoratives

Pejoratives are words or expressions whose primary function is to express contempt, insult, or devaluation. They are used to demean individuals or groups and can target characteristics such as race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, religion, disability, age, class, occupation, or other identifiers. Pejoratives may be direct insults, slurs, or more indirect terms that convey negative judgments. They can be employed in playful banter among familiar cohorts, in hostile discourse, or in institutional settings such as media or policy discussions.

The term pejorative comes from Latin peiorare, “to make worse,” via Old French pejoratif. In linguistics, pejoration refers to the historical process of a word acquiring more negative meaning; amelioration is the opposite. Pejoratives are often pragmatic markers of stance, signaling attitude, power relations, and social identity. Context, audience, and intonation affect interpretation; the same term can be accepted in one community and virulent in another.

The usage of pejoratives is tied to power and stigma; repeated exposure can contribute to discrimination or harassment. Many countries regulate hate speech or harassment; organizations adopt style guides and codes of conduct to discourage pejoratives in official communications. Media and education increasingly emphasize inclusive language and sensitivities to historical harm associated with certain terms.

Reclamation by marginalized groups can transform some terms, though reception remains contested. Linguists study pejoratives to understand semantics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistic variation. Awareness and alternative wording strategies—such as neutral descriptors or respectful terminology—are common goals in public communication.