toshould

Toshould is a coined term used in discussions of deontic logic, linguistics, and human-computer interaction to denote a particular kind of normative statement: a recommendation or prudent guidance rather than an obligation. The word blends the infinitive marker “to” with the modal sense of “should,” serving as a compact label for statements that advise rather than command.

Definition and semantics

In the proposed usage, toshould marks advice about what would be advisable to do in a given context. It is distinct from must or shall (obligation) and from may (permission). In formal discussions, toshould can be treated as an operator on propositions, roughly interpreting as “it should be the case that” or “one ought to.” This allows analysts to compare how different formulations influence user behavior, policy wording, or AI prompt design.

Origin and scope

Toshoould originated in online discussions within philosophy, linguistics, and AI design communities in the 2010s and 2020s as a way to scrutinize normative language without overloading sentences with obligation-phrases. It remains a niche concept, not widely adopted in mainstream lexicons or formal philosophy, but it appears in illustrative examples in blogs, thought experiments, and some human-computer interaction case studies.

Applications and examples

In practice, toshould helps modelers and writers distinguish between recommended actions and mandatory requirements in prompts, tutorials, and guidelines. For example, a policy might be described as “toshould verify identity before granting access” to emphasize advisory rather than binding conditions, aiding clarity in user instructions and normative analysis.

See also

Deontic logic, ought, obligation, normative ethics, natural language semantics, human-computer interaction.