A person who criticizes or speaks negatively about someone or something, diminishing its value or reputation.
From Latin detrahere (de- 'away' + trahere 'to pull/drag') + -or (agent noun suffix). Originated in the 1500s to describe someone who 'pulls away' from someone's reputation through criticism.
Every famous person, invention, or idea has detractors—critics who argue against it. Interestingly, research shows that having detractors often means you've actually done something significant enough to be worth arguing about!
Like 'detracter', the '-or' variant carries the same gendered agent nominalization pattern; 'detractress' marks women as grammatically exceptional critics.
Use 'detractor' for all genders. Avoid 'detractress' as a standard form.
["critic","opponent","dissenter"]
Women historians, philosophers, and political opponents have been detractors of power; using '-ress' unnecessarily marked their critique as anomalous.
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