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Loaded language is verbiage that attempts to influence the listener or reader by appealing to emotion rather than logic. Types of loaded language include loaded words, loaded questions and value-laden language.

Loaded words are words or phrases which have strong emotional overtones or connotations and which evoke strongly positive or negative reactions beyond their literal meaning. The phrase, "tax relief", for example, refers literally to deductions that a person might claim in order to reduce the amount of tax they must pay to their government. However, it is a loaded phrase in that the use of the emotive word, "relief", implies that the tax was an unreasonable burden to begin with.

Disputes over loaded language are not just fare for politicians, logicians, and coffee-shop intellectuals. For example, when Kraft invented processed cheese in the early 1900s, some traditional cheese makers demanded the new cheese be labeled "embalmed cheese" by law. But the government deemed that term too loaded and disparaging and decided to require the label "process cheese" instead. ^[1]

Interestingly, it is worth noting that "loaded language" is, itself, loaded language. The word "loaded" in this sense implies that the language is unreasonably freighted with an added meaning. Use of the phrase, "loaded language", to describe the writing or speech of another implies an accusation of demagoguery, or of pandering to the audience. As an umbrella term, "loaded language" is sometimes used to describe spin, euphemism and doublespeak.

Loaded questions, on the other hand, need not contain any loaded words; they are usually said to be loaded if they make a false presupposition. The classic example of a loaded question is, "Have you stopped beating your wife?". The question presupposes that the subject did at one time beat his wife, and either a yes or no answer appears to confirm this presupposition as fact, when it may well be false.

Common examples of loaded questions arise in interviews where the interviewer wishes to make a biased statement or adverse judgment while appearing to be fair and impartial. For example, assume a TV reporter were to ask a prominent young actress, "Given your history of drug addictions, sexual promiscuity, exhibitionism, and irresponsible behavior generally, are you at all worried that a movie producer might not hire you now, because he or she deems you uninsurable?"

In the field of law, such loaded questions are called "complex questions," or ones that assume facts not yet in evidence. The opposing lawyer or judge will object to such questions asked during cross-examination, so the question can be rephrased. ^[2] For example, a politician on trial might be asked, "How much do you pay the high-priced call girls you frequently see?" After objection by opposing counsel, the judge would rule that first one must establish that the defendant actually sees these women before inquiring about prices.

1. ^ "Cheese" documentary on Modern Marvels, History Channel (11-22-2007; 12pm-1am).
2. ^ http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/mathew/logic.html#complexq

• Bias
• Code word
• Connotation
• Fallacy of many questions
• political correctness
• Power word
• Rhetorical device
• Scientology terminology
• Semantics
• Sophism