--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He has never been known to use a word…" description: "\"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.\" — William Faulkner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/william-faulkner-306_books_he-has-never-been-known-to-use-a-word-th_784307.png" --- # He has never been known to use a word that might send a… ![“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.” quote by William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/william-faulkner-306_books_he-has-never-been-known-to-use-a-word-th_784307.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/william-faulkner-306_books_he-has-never-been-known-to-use-a-word-th_784307.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/william-faulkner-306_books_he-has-never-been-known-to-use-a-word-th_784307.png) > “He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.” [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He avoids complex vocabulary, preferring simple language that doesn’t force readers to consult a dictionary. **In simple terms:** He uses simple words, no dictionary needed. Key Takeaway Embrace clarity and accessibility in writing. Themes literature style communication accessibility education Mood thoughtful educational concise Type literary instructional When to use this quote - novel writing - teaching composition - editing workshops - public speeches - blog posts Key Concepts Plain language movement reader‑centered writing literary minimalism Questions to Reflect On - When is simplicity more effective than complexity? - How does word choice affect reader engagement? A Different Perspective Over‑simplification can limit expressive depth or nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Dictionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictionary/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Repartee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repartee/) [Sarcasm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sarcasm/) [Sarcastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sarcastic/) ## Related quotes > [“I certainly didn't mind possibly sending the reader to a dictionary once in a while, but I tried not to do it too often.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/i-certainly-didn-t-mind-possibly-sending-the-reader-to-a-dictionary/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." (on Ernest Hemingway”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/he-has-never-been-known-to-use-a-word-that-might-send-a-reader-to-the-2/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I don't even like to use the word relationship. I don't know what it means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-silver/i-don-t-even-like-to-use-the-word-relationship-i-don-t-know-what-it/) [Ron Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-silver/) > [I don't like to use the word sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-don-t-like-to-use-the-word-sacrifice/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Never use one word when two will do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/never-use-one-word-when-two-will-do/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Don't you loathe it when doctors use the word 'we' when it applies only and solely to yourself?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/don-t-you-loathe-it-when-doctors-use-the-word-we-when-it-applies-only/) [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) > [I do not find myself making any use of the word sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-do-not-find-myself-making-any-use-of-the-word-sacrifice/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [I don't have to always use the word 'we.' I think the first and most powerful step is to start using the word 'I.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ridloff/i-don-t-have-to-always-use-the-word-we-i-think-the-first-and-most/) [Lauren Ridloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ridloff/) > [People use the word success often, I don't use that word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-jhn/people-use-the-word-success-often-i-don-t-use-that-word/) [Saint Jhn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-jhn/) > [Never use the word, 'very.' It is the weakest word in the English language; doesn't mean anything. If you feel the urge of 'very'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/never-use-the-word-very-it-is-the-weakest-word-in-the-english/) [William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/) > [We're not ashamed to use the word 'peace.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-gantz/we-re-not-ashamed-to-use-the-word-peace/) [Benny Gantz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-gantz/) > [I always choose to use the word often instead of (unintelligible). Just changing it up, changing it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayden-panettiere/i-always-choose-to-use-the-word-often-instead-of-unintelligible-just/) [Hayden Panettiere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayden-panettiere/) > [If we understood what happens when we use the Word of God, we would use it oftener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-we-understood-what-happens-when-we-use-the-word-of-god-we-would/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [I'm reluctant to use the word class so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-west/i-m-reluctant-to-use-the-word-class-so-much/) [Timothy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-west/) > [I don't really know what 'community' means. And I never use that word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hughes/i-don-t-really-know-what-community-means-and-i-never-use-that-word/) [Chris Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hughes/) ## More by William Faulkner > [“The river itself is not a hundred yards across, and pa and Vernon and Vardaman and Dewey Dell are the only things in sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-river-itself-is-not-a-hundred-yards-across-and-pa-and-vernon-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [The quality an artist must have is objectivity in judging his work, plus the honesty and courage not to kid himself about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-quality-an-artist-must-have-is-objectivity-in-judging-his-work/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“Luster returned, wearing a stiff new straw hat with a colored band and carrying a cloth cap. The hat seemed to isolate Luster's skull,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/luster-returned-wearing-a-stiff-new-straw-hat-with-a-colored-band-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“What matters is at the end of life, when you're about to pass into oblivion, that you've at least scratched 'Kilroy was here,' on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-matters-is-at-the-end-of-life-when-you-re-about-to-pass-into/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I've got to feel the pencil and see the words at the end of the pencil,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-ve-got-to-feel-the-pencil-and-see-the-words-at-the-end-of-the-pencil/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [And sure enough, even waiting will end...if you can just wait long enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/and-sure-enough-even-waiting-will-end-if-you-can-just-wait-long-enough/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-believe-that-man-will-not-merely-endure-he-will-prevail-he-is/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/never-be-afraid-to-raise-your-voice-for-honesty-and-truth-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/to-understand-the-world-you-must-first-understand-a-place-like/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“What modren ideas?” pap said. “I didn’t know there was but one idea about work—until it is done, it ain’t done, and when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-modren-ideas-pap-said-i-didn-t-know-there-was-but-one-idea-about/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“It was only as he put his hand on the door that he became aware of complete silence beyond it, a silence which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-only-as-he-put-his-hand-on-the-door-that-he-became-aware-of/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“She has no mother because fatherblood hates with love and pride, but motherblood with hate loves and cohabits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/she-has-no-mother-because-fatherblood-hates-with-love-and-pride-but/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“Byron listened quietly, thinking to himself how people everywhere are about the same, but that it did seem that in a small town, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/byron-listened-quietly-thinking-to-himself-how-people-everywhere-are/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“It was too late. Maybe yesterday, while I was still a child, but not now. I knew too much, had seen too much, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-too-late-maybe-yesterday-while-i-was-still-a-child-but-not-now/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) [Explore all 673 William Faulkner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. 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