
Originally Posted by
The Dude
I would second that [BK: Not the friend quoted]. There's a huge difference between these two words and Probus is spot on.
Your friend is correct, however, to say that people adopt meanings set by society and typical usage. In other words, they use the dictionary. If they did not, how could they ever communicate accurately with each other? She should beware of interchanging words too freely, otherwise her listeners or readers will simply find her impossible to understand.
You are right too to hold that tone and context are important. One word can have completely different meanings in different contexts.
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