Our discussion of the word partner and its various meanings showed that the labels we choose are powerful—and can complicate our communication.
The word partner has several denotative meanings, as we discussed earlier. But it can also have powerful connotative meanings. Let’s look at romantic couples who choose the term partner. When some people hear an individual refer to his or her “partner,” they may assume the individual is gay or lesbian. And they may have positive, negative, or neutral reactions based on their cultural background. Others may wonder if the individual is trying to hide his or her marital or legal status. Still others may see partner as a term that marks equality in romantic relationships.
Abstraction plays an important role in the use of the term partner. “This is my boyfriend” or “This is my business partner” is a low-level abstraction, offering others a clear definition of your status. But the term partner is a high-level abstraction, keeping your status and relationship considerably more vague.
Considering the relational, situational, and cultural context is one way to make the term partner less abstract and vague. If you let your chemistry professor know that your “partner” needs some help with an experiment, the instructor understands that you mean your lab partner rather than your romantic partner or the person you play tennis with. Similarly, when introducing the love of your life to your elderly great-aunt, you might want to use a less ambiguous term. Your aunt may be of a generation that did not use the term partner for a love interest.