The basic idea is to use a sentence structure that names the person first and the condition second, for example, 'people with disabilities' rather than 'disabled people' or 'disabled,' to emphasize that they are people first.

People first language puts the person before the diagnosis and describes what the person has not what the person is. Rather than using labels to define individuals with a health issue, it is more appropriate to use terminology that describes individuals as being diagnosed with an illness or disorder. People-first language can also be applied to any group that is defined by a condition rather than as a people: for example, 'those that are homeless' rather than 'the homeless.' by NHS England's style guide) as a type of disability etiquette.

It aims to avoid perceived and subconscious dehumanization when discussing people with disabilities and is sometimes referred to (e.g. People-first language is a type of linguistic prescription. For example, a person with a substance use disorder has a fair chance of achieving long-term remission-many years in which they are healthy and productive-but calling them a 'substance abuser' reinforces an unspoken sense that they are inherently and permanently tainted and casts doubt on maintenance of remission. Advocates of person-first language point to the failure to mentally separate the person from the trait as reinforcing a sense that both the trait and the person are inherently bad or inferior, leading to discrimination whilst also implicitly reinforcing a sense of permanency even regarding issues that are likely to be temporary. The intention is that a person is seen foremost as a person and only secondly as a person with some trait, which does not inevitably define their essence it avoids essentializing the condition as their prime identity as a human being. Person-first language avoids using labels or adjectives to define someone, using terms such as 'a person with diabetes' instead of 'a diabetic' or 'a person with alcoholism' instead of 'an alcoholic'. It can be seen as a type of disability etiquette but person-first language can also be more generally applied to any group that would otherwise be defined or mentally categorized by a condition or trait (for example, race, age, or appearance). It is intended to avoid marginalization or dehumanization (either consciously or subconsciously) when discussing people with a chronic illness or disability.

People-first language ( PFL), also called person-first language, is a type of linguistic prescription which puts a person before a diagnosis, describing what condition a person 'has' rather than asserting what a person 'is'.

Langy person