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Q&A Should I use the words "pyromancy" and "necromancy" even if they don't mean what people think they do?

Actual usage and the original definition of a word may be out of sync (literally). And neither of them is the "real definition" you're referring to. Since you're afraid of creating a disconnect, I...

posted 5y ago by Peter‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T12:49:22Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/47645
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar Peter‭ · 2019-12-08T12:49:22Z (almost 5 years ago)
Actual usage and the original definition of a word may be out of sync ([literally](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/literally)). And neither of them is the "real definition" you're referring to.

Since you're afraid of creating a disconnect, I recommend sticking with the words the readers already know to mean what you want to say.

I recommend using your own made up words if you need to highlight a small but important difference to the existing word, or to remind the readers that some characters are from different cultures than others.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-08-28T16:46:07Z (about 5 years ago)
Original score: 1