Theodore's World: Dictionary Online Says 'Narrow-minded' Means 'conservative'

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May 15, 2009

Dictionary Online Says 'Narrow-minded' Means 'conservative'





Dictionary.com: 'Narrow-minded' means 'conservative'

Reference book equates terms without comment

wnd

When you hear the word "narrow-minded," does "extremely conservative" pop into your head?

It might if you use Dictionary.com as a reference tool.

The listing provides three definitions for "narrow-minded":

1. having or showing a prejudiced mind, as persons or opinions

2. biased. not receptive to new ideas; having a closed mind

3. extremely conservative and morally self-righteous.


It also features a list of synonyms, specifically "bigoted, partial, intolerant, illiberal."

Entries from other dictionaries, including the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language and Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, make no mention of "conservative" in their definitions.

WND contacted Random House in New York City for an explanation of how "extremely conservative" was placed into its dictionary as a descriptor for "narrow-minded," but no one was available to provide an answer. WND was told, though, the company is not working on any updated versions.
"While Random House Reference has no updated editions of our dictionaries currently planned, we continue to actively publish and market our existing editions," said Meg Rushton of Random House Information Group.

When WND entered the term "conservative" into Dictionary.com, results from eight different dictionaries were returned, with none using the word "narrow-minded" as a definition.

The Random House definitions include as an adjective:

* disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
* cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate.
* traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness: conservative suit.


As a noun, it includes:

* a person who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc.
* a supporter of conservative political policies.

On its "About" page, Dictionary.com explains it doesn't produce all the dictionaries appearing on its site. It merely makes them available.

"In that respect we are more like a bookstore or library than a publisher," it states. "Thus any comments regarding the content of the definitions that appear on our site should properly be directed to the publisher or copyright holder."




Wild Thing's comment.........


LOL What the heck willl they do next. They have re-wrtten hiistory in so many books, attacked our Founding Fathers in how they teach at schools......and now they are messing with the Dictionary.

The reprinted 1828 Websters Dictionary, is the best I think. Most of the Homeschooling parents use it and say it is fantastic. It is uncorrupted by political correctness.



....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.


Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67


Posted by Wild Thing at May 15, 2009 04:42 AM


Comments

I know they probably meant conservative in a different aspect-like frugal, but the way they worded it was wrong. I am definitely NOT narrow minded. I grew up in a family that was very diverse--we had a lebanese, blacks, a vietnamese, a filipino, mexicans and on and on. We learned not to close our minds, but to expand them and I think that has lead to my being a conservative. I got to see the whole pie and the good and the bad. I think liberalism is more narrow minded to tell you the truth. They only see one way out of a situation, whereas us conservatives work to find several solutions that will work and choose the best one.
This dictionary is wrong!

Posted by: Lynn at May 15, 2009 08:23 AM


When it comes to supporting traditional American values and The Constitution, you bet I am narrow minded. I am patriotic, think America is the best place in the world and support what America has been for 230 years.

Posted by: TomR at May 15, 2009 12:44 PM


Yeah I'm narrow minded too, even though I try to ignore the narrow perspectives of all those around me!!!
Queer is not Gay, not a farthing of hilarity about it, it's a lifestyle I don't want imposed on the rest of us.
Aborting full term fetuses and any fetus is murder of an innocent human life, yet they get disturbed by taking an animal's life for food, the 6th commandment must therefore be narrow minded.
If forcefully robbing the productive citizenry and distributing their spoils to the slobbering minions unwilling to care for themselves in violation of my 4th Amendment rights is narrow minded then count me as one of the narrowest minded.
Involuntary servitude to protect some skanky assed cowardly sumbitch born here that is unwilling to serve the nation to protect it, our Constitution and it's traditional values goes against the grain and narrows my mind also.
Worshipping the Diety 5 times a day then murdering their own and those that do not follow their dictum's falls inside my narrowest of perspectives too!!!
Corruption at all levels of Congress and the executive levels of government further gives me a piqued view of our leadsrs.

Guilty as charged, oh yes I'm a bigot and DHS accused terrorist too!!!

Posted by: Jack at May 15, 2009 02:02 PM


Narrow-minded, ok

As of now 5 states have declared their Sovereignty and Gun Laws that are inmune to Federal laws as declared in the 9th and 10th Amendments.

Texas is up next as far as Sovereignty and the Gun Laws.

Narrow Minded you bet, so is the United States Constitution, the Constitution is supposed to be the footprint of our Government. Anything outside of that footprint is unconstitutional. It is time to reign this runaway government and these Prima Donna legislators in and fire each and everyone of these arrogant 'Cophragiacs'.

Posted by: Mark at May 15, 2009 06:02 PM


Lynn, yes that is the thing, they mean
narrow minded like an ugly thing. It can
be taken as a good thing too. Narrow
minded to them is not good and they mean
it to come across like that.

Your right too about Liberals being
narrow minded it shows up in how they
hate us if we happen to disagree with them.
They can't discuss they attack instead.

Posted by: Wild Thing at May 16, 2009 05:46 AM


Tom, see the way you mean narrow minded is
the way it should be. I agree, when it is
used in the correct way we sure are narrow
minded and I am glad of it.

It sure is hard when they want to re-write
words to mean other things.

Posted by: Wild Thing at May 16, 2009 05:48 AM


Mark, thanks for the information about the
Gun Laws.

LOL good one

"Prima Donna legislators"

They sure are!!!

Posted by: Wild Thing at May 16, 2009 05:51 AM