Alphabetical Entries: L
lady Do not use as a synonym for woman; do not use gentleman as a synonym for man. The term "lady" may be used appropriately in certain circumstances, but use caution because it carries different shades of meaning and connotations; it often appears gratuitous or condescending, but it can also connote elegance or propriety. If you do use lady, use the parallel construction – gentleman – for men: ladies and gentlemen. See AP Stylebook's lady entry.
Latino, Latina, Latinx Latino is often the preferred noun or adjective for a person from, or whose ancestors were from, a Spanish-speaking land or culture or from Latin America. Latina is the feminine form. For groups of females, use the plural Latinas; for groups of males or of mixed gender, use the plural Latinos. Some prefer the recently coined gender-neutral term Latinx, which can be used as a singular or plural. Follow the person’s preference. Hispanics is also generally acceptable for those in the U.S. Use a more specific identification when possible, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian or Mexican American.
lecturers, lectures, lectureships The title lecturer or adjunct lecturer should be treated as an occupational title rather than a formal title and thus always be lowercased, even before a name: environmental horticulture lecturer Warren G. Roberts. The title of a lecture should, in all cases, be within quotations. (See the "UNPUBLISHED WORKS" heading under the composition titles entry.) Lectureships, often endowed or underwritten, enable the campus to invite distinguished scholars to campus for a period of a few days to participate in seminars and to give one or more talks. Lectures can be held, presented or given. Also see the conference titles and series entries.
literary series See the series entry.
lowercase
