Pre-Owned Words

Certain phrases in the English language are criticized for their lack of meaning. To some people they seem unnecessary and unpleasant when used, but to others they make logical sense. Lake Superior State University has come up with a list that consists of words and phrases that should be banished. Among those listed is the word “pre-owned”. The word pre-owned is used to describe an object that has been owned by someone else before being purchased again, or as the Merriam Webster dictionary defines it, “ Secondhand, used”. It is a shortened version of the phrase,“previously owned” and makes sense because it stands exactly for what it means. The word should not be banished because it provides descriptive information about a certain object, it

Often, there are objects that some people simply cannot afford to buy brand new. There are many situations in which this word can be useful. For example, at a video game store such as Game Stop, they have games labeled as “pre-owned” to inform customers that the game had a previous owner. Games that have been owned before have a price reduction and become affordable to people who aren't looking to spend over sixty dollars on a new one. Game Stop uses the word pre-owned because customers were discouraged from buying a game labeled as “used”. “This time changing the wording on their traded-in games from the in-your-face ‘Used’ to a more approachable "Pre-Owned" adage” (Blast). The usage of the word here encourages customers to buy the used game without feeling like the game isn't good anymore. Another example applies to motor vehicles. “The route to budget-friendly yet generally safe used-car buying is a manufacturer-certified, pre-owned car or truck (CPO for short)” (Peters, 32-33). When searching for a vehicle, whether online or at a dealership, cars that have been used before are labeled as pre-owned to inform the customer that the car isn't new. The use of the word here again refers to an object that has had a previous owner and provides helpful information on the car that can save the customer some money by buying a reliable used car. The word is

It is widely used in the consumer market to promote sales on used items without devaluating them. The LSSU list contains comments on why the word should be banished and this was their reasoning, “What is so disgraceful about owning a used car now and then?” (Banished Words List). The word pre-owned is not disgraceful in any form, it’s not a form of insult or a word used to shame someone. It is just a word used to describe an object back on the market. To banish a word or phrase for not making sense is understandable, but they should not get rid of a word that is true to its definition. The word shouldn't even be on the list and is here to