5 Words You've Been Using Incorrectly
Here's one of the five I wasn't aware of.
Moot
If you’ve ever said something is a "moot point," you’re probably suggesting that something is insignificant or irrelevant. The original definition of moot, according to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), was "a meeting, an assembly of people, esp. one for judicial or legislative purposes." This definition has since evolved to mean two downright opposing things on either side of the Atlantic. Stateside, a moot point simply refers to something not worth debating. But if you use the same word overseas, it refers to things that are open to argument, debatable, or uncertain. To further complicate things, the original judicial ties of the word "moot" live on, as U.S. law students take part in "moot court," AKA a simulation court. While the North American definition of moot is also recognized by the OED, you may want to avoid using the word if you’re taking a message global.
2022-08-08
