Words Banned or Flagged by the Federal Administration

Image from PEN America’s post on Banned Words

These words, phrases and acronyms are currently banned or flagged by federal agencies:

abortion accessibility Accessible activism activists advocacy advocate advocates affirmative action affirmative action programs affirming care affordable home affordable housing agricultural water agrivoltaics air pollution all-inclusive allyship alternative energy anti-racism antiracist asexual assigned at birth assigned female at birth assigned male at birth at risk autism aviation fuel barrier barriers belong bias biased Biased toward biases Biases towards bioenergy biofuel biogas biologically female biologically male biomethane bipoc bisexual Black black and latinx breastfeed + people breastfeed + person Cancer Moonshot carbon emissions mitigation carbon footprint carbon markets carbon pricing carbon sequestration CEC changing climate chestfeed + people chestfeed + person clean energy clean fuel clean power clean water climate climate accountability climate change climate consulting climate crisis climate model climate models climate resilience climate risk climate science climate smart agriculture climate smart forestry climate variability climate-change climate smart commercial sex worker community community diversity community equity confirmation bias contaminants of environmental concern continuum Covid-19 critical race theory cultural competence cultural differences cultural heritage Cultural relevance cultural sensitivity culturally appropriate culturally responsive decarbonization definition DEI DEIA DEIAB DEIJ diesel dietary guidelines/ultraprocessed foods dirty energy disabilities disability disabled disadvantaged discriminated discrimination discriminatory discussion of federal policies disparity diverse diverse backgrounds diverse communities diverse community diverse group diverse groups diversified diversify diversifying diversity diversity and inclusion diversity in the workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion diversity/equity efforts EEJEJ elderly electric vehicle emissions energy conversion energy transitionenhance the diversityenhancing diversity entitlement environmental justice environmental quality equal opportunity equality equitable equitableness equity ethanol ethnicity evidence-based excluded exclusion expression female females feminism fetus field drainage fluoride fostering inclusivity fuel cell gay GBV gender gender based gender based violence gender diversity gender dysphoria gender expression gender identity gender ideology gender nonconformity gender transition gender-affirming care gendered genders geothermal GHG emission GHG modeling GHG monitoring global warming green green infrastructure greenhouse gas emission groundwater pollution Gulf of Mexico H5N1/bird flu hate hate speech health disparity health equity hispanic hispanic minority historically housing affordability housing efficiency hydrogen vehicle identity ideology immigrants implicit bias implicit biases inclusion inclusive inclusive leadership inclusiveness inclusivity Increase diversity increase the diversity indigenous indigenous community/ people inequalities inequality inequitable inequities injustice institutional integration intersectional intersectionality intersex issues concerning pending legislation justice40 key groups key people key populations Latinx lesbian lgbt LGBTQ low-emission vehicle low-income housing male dominated marginalize marginalized marijuana measles membrane filtration men who have sex with men mental health methane emissions microplastics migrant minorities minority minority serving institution most risk MSI msm multicultural Mx Native American NCI budget net-zero non-binary nonbinary noncitizen non-conforming nonpoint source pollution nuclear energy nuclear power obesity opioids oppression oppressive orientation pansexual PCB peanut allergies people + uterus people of color people-centered care person-centered person-centered care PFAS PFOA photovoltaic polarization political pollution pollution abatement pollution remediation prefabricated housing pregnant people pregnant person pregnant persons prejudice privilege privileges promote promote diversity promoting diversity pronoun pronouns prostitute pyrolysis QT queer race race and ethnicity racial racial diversity racial identity racial inequality racial justice racially racism runoff rural water safe drinking water science-based sediment remediation segregation self-assessed sense of belonging sex sexual preferences sexuality social justice social vulnerability socio cultural socio economic sociocultural socioeconomic status soil pollution solar energy solar power special populations stem cell or fetal tissue research stereotype stereotypes subsidized housing sustainability/sustainable sustainable construction systemic tax breaks tax credits tax subsidies they/them tile drainage topics of federal investigations topics that have received recent attention from Congress topics that have received widespread or critical media attention transtransexual transexualism transexuals transgender transgender military personnel transgender people transitional housing trauma traumatic tribal two-spirit unconscious bias under appreciated under represented under served underprivileged underrepresentation underrepresented underserved understudied undervalued vaccines victim victims vulnerable vulnerable populations water collection water conservation water distribution water efficiency water management water pollution water quality water storage water treatment white privilege wind power woman women women and underrepresented women in leadership

This list is published and maintained by PEN America. It reflects guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, NASA, the National Cancer Institute, the National Security Agency, the National Science Foundation, and the White House itself. It also aggregated others published by The New York Times, Politico, Reuters, The Washington Post, Propublica, Science, Gizmodo, 404 Media, Popular Information, Politico’s E&E News, and the nonprofit news outlet More Perfect Union.

The list, a vital resource for anyone looking to stay informed during this time, was originally published on March 21, 2025, and has been updated with more terms and additional information. It’s unclear if it will continue to be updated but let’s hope so.