What is Inclusive Language?  

Words matter and can help or inhibit the work, feelings and expression of others.  Inclusive and equitable language demonstrates action-focused ways to enhance our commitment to celebrate our diversity, expand our vocabulary to be more inclusive and foster a greater feeling of belonging with our colleagues, philanthropic partners and constituents. Inclusive language is based on kindness and curiosity — learning and caring about others as unique individuals. Using inclusive language at work upholds the respect and well-being of our colleagues and all individuals we work with in our professional lives.    

Inclusive language recognizes that word choice can be used — intentionally or unintentionally — to include or exclude others. Using inclusive language communicates in a respectful way and brings everyone into the conversation. Inclusive language also avoids making assumptions about people, steering clear of defaults that could make a person feel alienated or unwelcome. The ultimate goal of inclusive language is to create an environment in which everyone is empowered to speak and feel confident that their voice will be heard. By choosing to use gender-neutral terms, avoiding terms that make assumptions or revert to defaults, and being mindful of historical context, we are actively working to include and create space for everyone to be their authentic selves.  

Using the Guides Below  

The guides below demonstrate actionable ways to enhance our commitment to celebrate our diversity, expand our vocabulary to be more inclusive and foster a greater feeling of belonging with our colleagues, philanthropic partners, donors and constituents.     

Gendered Language   

Gender-neutral language or gender-inclusive language is language that avoids bias towards a particular sex or social gender. In American English, this includes the use of nouns that are not gender-specific to refer to roles or professions, the formation of phrases in a coequal manner and discontinuing the blanket use of male terms. Rather than make assumptions about relatives' gender identities (e.g., based on a name or a picture), lean on gender neutral terms like spouse, child or sibling as a default over gendered terms like wife, daughter or sister. Offer gender inclusive picklist options in addition to gendered relationship terms in constituent database fields.  

When using...	Instead use...
hey guys, ladies, gals, bro, dude, man	y’all, friends, colleagues, team, everyone, all of you, both of you, folks
husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend	spouse, partner, significant other
mankind	Humankind, humanity
girl, boy (someone 18+)	woman, women, they, them, she, he, man, men, person, people, name
chairman	chair, chairperson, board chair
waitress, waiter	server, waitstaff
mailman, weatherman (many professions)	postal carrier or worker, meteorologist
housewife, househusband	homemaker, stay-at-home parent
Dear Sir, Dear Madam	Dear Name, To Whom It May Concern
manpower, man-hours, man-made	effort, amount of time, work, created, fabricated
freshman	first-year student

Workplace example: “Sending over research on the parents of the new first-year students starting at the university this fall.”   

Sexist Language    

Related to gendered language, sexist or misogynistic language unnecessarily emphasizes gender and is used to demean and dehumanize people and how they identify. It reinforces stereotypes and assumptions about gender roles. Here are some examples of specific words used in misogynistic ways.    

When using…	Instead use…
bossy	powerful leader, person in charge, direct, decisive, takes charge
man up, be a man	show courage
hysterical, emotional	they have strong feelings on the subject, impassioned, passionate
ladylike	polite, kind
maiden name	birth name, former last name

Workplace example: “Amanda is a great leader for our organization. She takes charge when things get tough and there are hard decisions to be made on behalf of our nonprofit.”   

Harmful Coded Language    

These are terms and slang commonly used that were created or appropriated to cause intentional harm and violence upon their subjects. This language is often unnecessarily politicized and used to dehumanize, activate and reinforce racial stereotypes of marginalized people and communities.    

When using…	Instead use…
illegal alien	undocumented immigrant, refugee
minorities	BIPOC, Black, Latinx, Native, etc.
thug	person suspected of a crime, suspect
felon, criminal, ex-con	formerly convicted of a crime
convict, prisoner	incarcerated
at risk/inner city/urban	historically disinvested, historically underserved neighborhood, historically under-resourced
slave	Enslaved person, victim of slavery
ghetto, the hood	historically disinvested, historically underserved neighborhood, historically under-resourced
sketchy/shady (geographically)	historically disinvested, historically underserved neighborhood, historically under-resourced
the rez	Sovereign Nations, native land, Indigenous land

Workplace Example: “This scholarship being funded is designed for students who come from historically under-resourced neighborhoods and whose families have not been given the opportunities others in different parts of the city have received. These scholarships can change lives.”   

Ableist Language    

Ableist language is language that is used to dehumanize and invalidate people with disabilities and neurodivergent people. It can also refer to language that is derogatory, abusive or negative about disability. Ableism is the systemic exclusion and oppression of people with disabilities, often expressed and reinforced through language. Terminology should center personhood first and then divergence in ability — but be sure to ask the person with a disability how they identify, as preferences vary.     

When using…	Instead use…
normal	typical, most common, primary, usual
crazy, nuts, insane, psycho	outrageous, wild, extreme, intense, surprising, bananas
disabled	person with a disability
mentally ill, mental	person suffering from a mental illness
lame	uncool, awful
spaz	going wild, an outburst of activity
handicapped parking	accessible parking
basketcase	having a hard time, difficulty doing something
fell on deaf ears/tone-deaf	did not listen, did not pay attention
OCD	attentive, pays attention to detail, organized
blind spot	missed, did not expect, unplanned, gap in misunderstanding
binging, binged	indulged, satiated, wallowed, watched a lot

Workplace Example: “The work retreat offers accessible parking and passes are available at the front desk.” 

Colloquialisms Rooted in Slavery and Oppression    

There are many terms in American English that have etymology rooted in slavery, racism and oppression that have become ubiquitous in everyday conversation. Additionally, some terms may have innocuous origins but have been historically co-opted by racists.    

When using…	Instead use…
master bedroom	primary, main or largest bedroom
grandfather clause/grandfathered in	group operating under the former policy, allowed in, included, before the policy changed
no can do	I cannot do it
tribe	group, team, family, support system, chosen family
sold down the river	betrayed, cheated
peanut gallery	hecklers, critics, commentators, jokesters
long time no see	it’s been a while
spirit animal	aligned with, kindred spirit
blacklist, blackball	excluded groups
cakewalk	quick win, easy victory
gyp, gypped	lose, lost, taken away
bougie, boujee, uppity	upper class, middle class, wealthy
move up the totem pole	chain of command, order, priorities and more authority
hold down the fort	be in charge, monitor and lead in someone’s absence
pow-wow	meeting, get together
slaving away	working hard, dedicated, heavy workload
Nazi	rigid, attention to detail, focused, attentive
go off the reservation	disagree with the group, defect from the group

Workplace Example: “Sam will be in charge while the rest of the team is at the retreat.”   

Violent Language    

Language that evokes violent imagery, mimics violent actions or uses words that typically describe violence should be avoided. This language can activate people who have experienced violence firsthand or in their communities.    

When using…	Instead use…
I’ll shoot you an email	I’ll send you an email
shot in the dark	taking a chance, try
blown away	shocked, surprised
killing time, killing it	passing the time, great job, you are doing well
jumped the gun	got ahead of yourself, started too quickly, too early
slayed it	did a great job
at war with, going to war	spirited debate, difficult, opposed to
rule of thumb	tule, guideline, policy
take a stab at	try, give it a go, attempt
killing two birds with one stone   more than one way to skin a cat	taking care of two things at once, multiple ways to accomplish a task and multitasking
beating a dead horse	refusing to let go, repeating, going over and over
stalking	checking out, reviewing and looking at a lot
bullet points	dot points
trigger	activate, upset

Workplace Example: “After my introduction, you will see the notes in the dot points below.”   

Words Matter  

We are all humans. We are beautiful and flawed, with challenges and frustrations, fits and starts.  

These inclusive language guides are by no means definitive and will always be evolving. They include basic terms sourced from credible and well-researched resources , pointing out some examples of ways our language can hurt or oppress others and how we can use alternatives that instead honor and celebrate.    

In our not-for-profit organizations, we aim to be inclusive and equitable and to make our staff, constituents, philanthropic partners and donors feel like they belong.  We hope this guide will inspire you to think more carefully about the words and phrases you use in professional and casual conversations and to consider using some of the suggestions as alternatives.  

Continued Reading    

• American Psychological Association Inclusive Language Guide
• University of California, Berkeley: Understanding Inclusive Language
• University of Wisconsin Editorial Style Guide