Loaded word ??

Question

Hi there.One of my friend asked me the meaing of 'loaded word'. She heard that from movie "50 first dates", like "Love is a loaded word."I found similar usages through Internet, for example "Marriage is a loaded word". something like that.What does 'loaded word' mean??What kind of impression do you get from this expression ?Thanks for your help. :^)Marty.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]One of my friend asked me the meaing of 'loaded word'. She heard that from movie "50 first dates", like ... word". something like that. What does 'loaded word' mean?? What kind of impression do you get from this expression ?[/nq]
A loaded word is a word that carries meaning beyond what its dictionary definition is. This extra meaning usually depends on circumstances.
For instance, in western societies, a female may refer casually to "my boyfriend" or "my girlfriend" and this usage carries no extra meaning beyond what it seems to. A male too can refer to "my girlfriend" and that is nothing remarkable. But if he were to refer to a male friend as "my boyfriend", THAT would be a loaded word. It would imply that he is a homosexual.
Another example of a loaded words are those words used as euphemisms. For instance a woman making her living as a lawyer is engaged in a profession. But don't refer to her as a "professional girl". That's a loaded word, because it's a common euphemism for a prostitute.

Now as to why love would be a loaded word on a first date I don't know. But lots of perfectly innocent words can be loaded words if used in the wrong place at the wrong time. Americans are often called 'yankees', but in the deep south of the US, that word has a different and more specific meaning!
Other words are loaded when spoken by the wrong person. A person of African heritage can use the N word quite casually, but a white man better be careful how he uses it these days!
Still other words have been deliberately made into loaded words. The conservative mouths the word 'liberal' for instance, as if it is a swearword these days.

Usenet · Answer

Hello!
I would say it implies that something is really important, that brings many other things along with it.
For example "love" would imply an important change for somebody for example. Or marriage would also bring a lot of responsibility for instance. That´s what I understand from this expression.
Bye!
[nq:1]Hi there. One of my friend asked me the meaing of 'loaded word'. She heard that from movie "50 first ... does 'loaded word' mean?? What kind of impression do you get from this expression ? Thanks for your help. :[/nq]^)

Loaded word ??

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