Redefine the word 'hostel'

16 May 2008

Hostelworld.com, the number one hostel booking website, is campaigning to request a revision of the word hostel as it appears in the current issues of the major UK and online dictionaries.

Current definitions are out of date and incorrect:

1 a residence providing shelter for the homeless, esp one run for charitable rather than for profitable purposes. 2 a residence for students, nurses, etc. 3 a YOUTH HOSTEL (Chambers Compact Dictionary)

1 a building providing overnight accommodation at a low cost for particular groups of people, such as the homeless 2 same as youth hostel 3 Brit & NZ a supervised lodging house for nurses, students etc (Collins English Dictionary)

1 Also called youth hostel. an inexpensive, supervised lodging place for young people on bicycle trips, hikes etc. 2 British: a residence hall at a university 3 an inn (Dictionary.com)

1 an establishment which provides cheap food and lodging for a specific group of people, such as students, workers, etc. 2 an inn providing accommodation. (Oxford English Dictionary)

The image of hostels associated with boarding school dormitories, cold showers and mugs of cocoa is out of date. Hostels have moved on but, sadly, some dictionary definitions havent. Language is always evolving and modern hostels are nothing like the image some dictionaries portray it is time they changed.

Hostels are budget, fun, sociable accommodation for people of all ages and we want dictionaries to define them as such.

If you support this campaign to urge dictionaries to change their current hostel definitions please sign our petition.