Who gets to say what a word means?

Tomorrow is Election Day in the United States. It’s a good occasion to explain why we call Urban Dictionary a democratic dictionary.

On Urban Dictionary, everyone gets a voice, by writing a definition. Readers vote on entries, helping decide which ones other readers see first. And when people disagree about a word, their definitions can sit next to each other on the same page.

Seeing that disagreement matters. The same word can be affectionate in one group and insulting in another. One definition may describe how a word is used. Another may tell you exactly how someone feels about it. You don’t need a credential, an invitation or a government ID to contribute.

You can read those accounts together, decide which account you recognize, and if something's missing, you can add it yourself.

Different experiences give people different things to say. That’s worth making room for. But making room for different perspectives doesn’t mean accepting hatred or harassment. We draw lines in our published rules and work to enforce them. We don’t always get it right, and that work is never finished.

Today's internet brings immediate answers, already summarized, without that detail. But sometimes you need to see what someone actually wrote, when they wrote it, and what other people had to say. Those different perspectives are part of the answer.

Urban Dictionary depends on you taking the time to participate. If you’ve written a definition or voted on one, thank you.

And if you’re eligible to vote in the U.S. election and haven’t already, please vote.

Aaron