• over_clox@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    Nah, still means basically the same in English. Basically means to bother or annoy someone.

    People just forgot to describe what type of molestation anymore and automatically assume the word implies a sexual context, when that’s not necessarily always the case.

    https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/molest

    • snooggums@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      If 99% of the common is for sexual molestation them it means sexual moleststion in common usage even if it means something else in other contexts where the meaning hasn’t changed. Nobody is going to think someone means anything else when someone says their uncle molested them.

      Definitions outside of structured settings like science or law are based on common usage.

      • over_clox@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        True. If by chance I ever did use the word outside of common usage context, I’d make sure to clarify exactly what I mean…

        “Snooggums is verbally molesting me!”