Cambridge Dictionary changes definition of 'man' and 'woman': '1984 wasn't supposed to be a how-to manual'
Cambridge Dictionary is under fire for altering the definition of "man" and "woman" to encompass transgender people. Critics argue it erodes truth and elevates far-feft social values.
Maybe this will get more people to stop relying on dictionaries for authoritative definitions. They are (or should be) spelling/usage guides and etymological references.
I use the 1969 edition of the Random House College Dictionary and have no need for any other.
Any writer with anything on the ball stipulates his own definitions or cites them from primary sources; citing a dictionary definition is merely convenient.