View source for Visceral (usage)

The [[adjective]] '''visceral''', which means [[literal]]ly 'to do with the internal organs of the body' (see also [[Viscera (pronunciation)]]), is used colloquially to mean 'powerfully emotional', 'deeply moving'. It is usually employed about works of art - films, plays, and other works of literature. AWE advises writers of formal English in British universities - particularly those studying literature and other art forms - not to use 'visceral' in this sense. It is seen by many teachers in these areas as too colloquial, and thus too imprecise. It is also in danger of becoming a [[cliché]]. Some no doubt feel it to be dangerously modern, despite ''[[OED]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s note that the word in this sense was "''Obs[olete]'' after 17th c[entury] and revived in the 20th".

::You may also want to see [[Viscera (pronunciation)]].

[[Category:changing meanings]]
[[Category:academic English]]
[[Category:Colloquialisms]]