# What % of english speakers know the definition of a particular word?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-of-english-speakers-know-the-definition-of-a-particular-word/730192>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 6, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-of-english-speakers-know-the-definition-of-a-particular-word/730192 "2015-09-06T17:54:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-of-english-speakers-know-the-definition-of-a-particular-word/730192/41 "2015-11-09T21:03:23Z")

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> [@TroutMan](#):
>
> Reviving this to mention that _Slate_ wants to revive calumny as a common word. They wrote a [full article](http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2015/11/05/calumny_is_a_useful_word_for_libel_slander_defamation.html) singing its praises.

Well, it can’t become a common word here on this board, as **tomndebb** (see post #11 above) has declared its use to be a warnable offense here.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-of-english-speakers-know-the-definition-of-a-particular-word/730192/42 "2015-11-10T07:40:42Z")

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I haven’t seen a convincing reason to not just use “slander” for the concept of calumny.

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**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-of-english-speakers-know-the-definition-of-a-particular-word/730192/43 "2015-11-10T17:41:00Z")

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> [@BigT](#):
>
> I haven’t seen a convincing reason to not just use “slander” for the concept of calumny.

From a practical standpoint, calumny covers both spoken and written communications so you can avoid the slander/libel distinction.

From the standpoint of eloquence, slander is a legal term and doesn’t carry the same connotation of judgment as calumny. Slander is illegal; calumny is \*wrong \*.

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**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-of-english-speakers-know-the-definition-of-a-particular-word/730192/44 "2015-11-10T18:35:07Z")

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I knew neither of those words but I’ve heard of them. Oh, and I always thought it was “handsome cab”, now it makes sense!

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