Why I Stopped Using The Term "Master" Bedroom/Bathroom
Have you heard the news? Using the term “master” in describing your home’s main bedroom/bathroom is officially OUT! And as it should be, right?!
It’s no secret that the word “master” has racist, even sexist, connotations. “Master” is a term that’s been used for hundreds of decades all over the world to help differentiate between an “owner” and the enslaved. In an effort to combat today’s racism, I have eliminated the term from my real estate vocabulary and replaced it with something a little less chauvinistic… welcome, “primary!”
Merriam-Webster describes the term primary as the following: “the first in order of time or development… of first rank, importance and value” ( Primary | Definition of Primary by Merriam-Webster). “Primary” can be used to describe a home’s main bedroom even better than the term “master.” Not only does the term “primary” differentiate between a home’s main and guest bedrooms, it also promotes equality. As a social work undergrad from the University of Kentucky, providing equal and fair housing is extremely important to me. And while you may not feel targeted by the word “master,” many in our community do. So let’s make a change! Below I’ve highlighted a few more replacement words for “master.”
Replacement Words for “Master”
1. Primary
2. Main
3. Owner’s