List of English Words With Disputed Usage - U

U

• unique – Some usage critics and style guides have argued that unique only means "sole" or "without equal", such as the AP Stylebook, which says "it means one of a kind. Do not describe something as rather unique, most unique, or very unique"but most dictionaries do give a third meaning: "unusual", which can be qualified by, quite, very, somewhat, as in "The theme of the party was somewhat unique" (see comparison). M-W has a usage note under its entry for "unique", which says in part "Many commentators have objected to the comparison or modification (as by somewhat or very) of unique, often asserting that a thing is either unique or it is not. Objections are based chiefly on the assumption that unique has but a single absolute sense, an assumption contradicted by information readily available in a dictionary." The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage is quite plain in its disagreement with the critics:

  Those who insist that unique cannot be modified by such adverbs as more, most, and very are clearly wrong: our evidence shows that it can be and frequently is modified by such adverbs.

• urgent – The primary meaning of urgent is as a description of a pressing need. Especially in journalistic contexts, it is sometimes used by transference to describe the thing needed, or to mean "happening very soon".
  • Undisputed usage: There is an urgent need for talks
  • Disputed usage: There is a need for urgent talks
  • Disputed usage: The President promised that urgent talks would be held