Why does Slangora include slurs and offensive terms at all?

A dictionary that pretends offensive words don't exist isn't useful. A parent trying to understand what their teen was called online, an ESL learner trying to know what to avoid, or a journalist writing about online harassment all need to look these terms up somewhere. We document them with clear warnings, historical context, and never with examples that read as endorsement.

How does Slangora flag offensive content?

Definitions carry a register field (formal/casual/vulgar/offensive/ironic/dated) and, where relevant, an editorial sensitivity flag that triggers a banner on the word page. Search results and hub pages can be filtered to exclude offensive terms.

Will you ever remove a term?

Rarely. We remove definitions that are doxxing, harassment of a named individual, or pure fabrication. We don't remove documented slang just because the word is offensive — that's what the warning system is for. Edge cases go through the same editorial review as everything else.

How is AAVE and other culturally specific slang handled?

AAVE entries include origin context where we have it, and we try to credit the communities that coined the words. We aim to document these words respectfully — without scrubbing them, romanticizing them, or stripping them from their history.

Sensitive-language policy

How Slangora documents offensive, sexual, drug-related, hateful, and otherwise sensitive slang — without promoting any of it.

Our approach in one sentence

A slang dictionary that pretends harmful words don't exist is useless to the people who most need to understand them. We document, we contextualize, we warn — we don't amplify, glorify, or invent examples that read as endorsement.

Who this is for

Parents trying to understand what their child has been called or sent.
Teachers and counselors who need to recognize concerning language.
ESL learners who need to know which words are dangerous to use.
Journalists writing about online harassment, hate speech, or drug culture.
Researchers studying how language spreads online.
Anyone trying to understand a message they didn't expect to receive.

How sensitive terms are surfaced

Register field. Every definition can carry a register — formal, casual, vulgar, offensive, ironic, dated. The register surfaces as a badge on the definition card so readers immediately understand the tone.
Editorial sensitivity flag. Definitions flagged sensitive trigger a banner at the top of the word page with the kind of warning relevant to the term — sexual content, slur, drug reference, violence, self-harm-related, etc.
Filterable browse. Hub pages and search support a "safer browse" toggle that hides definitions marked offensive or sensitive.

What we won't do

Use slurs in page titles or marketing copy.
Write example sentences that read as endorsement.
Include graphic detail about drug use, sexual acts, or self-harm beyond what is needed to make the meaning clear.
Promote "suggested alternatives" that themselves cause harm.
Document targeted harassment of a named, non-public individual.

Slurs and reclaimed language

Some words are slurs in one community and reclaimed in another. We try to capture both senses — labeling them as such — rather than picking a side. Where a community has explicitly reclaimed a word, the entry notes that the term's acceptability depends heavily on who is using it and to whom.

AAVE and other culturally specific slang

African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is the source of an enormous share of modern slang. Where we know a word originated in AAVE, the entry says so — even if the word has since spread widely. The point isn't to gatekeep usage; it's to make sure the historical record reflects who coined the language.

The same principle applies to slang from other communities — Latino communities, LGBTQ+ communities, regional dialects, gaming and music subcultures. Origin matters.

Children and younger readers

Slangora isn't a children's website. We assume adult readers. We do not mute warnings to make adult content easier to find, and we do not write adult content in a way that targets minors. The parent-mode and school-safe-browse features are designed precisely for situations where a more cautious view is needed.

Reporting a concern

If a specific definition violates this policy — endorses harm, promotes a slur, gives graphic detail beyond what's needed, or targets a real person — flag it via the report button on the definition card, or use the corrections page. We read every report.