"Dear captainregularr,

Thank you very much for your email to the Oxford English Dictionary.

I’m sorry to hear that you’re disappointed with our definition of ‘rape’.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/rape

This is obviously a very sensitive issue for many people, but as a dictionary we can only provide a guide to how language is actually used, and not how it should be used. Our extensive linguistic research shows that the majority of people (and laws) define rape as typically committed by a man, and so that is what our definition must reflect.

I hope that helps. Thank you again for your interest.

Kind regards,

Beth

Beth Craggs Content, Communications, and Engagement Manager | Digital Dictionaries Oxford University Press | Great Clarendon Street | Oxford OX2 6DP "