Actually, they don't really know what you're talking about. People assume based on their own knowledge of the definition.
So if I said, "I am female" it would result in people making assumptions based on that knowledge set. If that knowledge set is based on a concrete definition (and my own knowledge set is based on that same definition) then yes, they will know what I'm talking about.
But if either one (the communicator or the receiving person) has a different knowledge of the definition then it will lead to confusion (and in worse cases) arguments and tension. This will always be true in a case without a concrete definition (it doesn't need to be strict, contextual definitions are pretty common and do tend to work well) because people will inherently have different views on what the word means.
No concrete definition means that you have no more call to tell someone their definition is wrong than they do of you. Communication turns to fights in that situation. Because invariably, someone will have the view that "female" means "born with a vagina". How can you tell them they're wrong when you don't have a concrete definition? And how would they know what you mean with that view?
no subject
So if I said, "I am female" it would result in people making assumptions based on that knowledge set. If that knowledge set is based on a concrete definition (and my own knowledge set is based on that same definition) then yes, they will know what I'm talking about.
But if either one (the communicator or the receiving person) has a different knowledge of the definition then it will lead to confusion (and in worse cases) arguments and tension. This will always be true in a case without a concrete definition (it doesn't need to be strict, contextual definitions are pretty common and do tend to work well) because people will inherently have different views on what the word means.
No concrete definition means that you have no more call to tell someone their definition is wrong than they do of you. Communication turns to fights in that situation. Because invariably, someone will have the view that "female" means "born with a vagina". How can you tell them they're wrong when you don't have a concrete definition? And how would they know what you mean with that view?