framework

framework

Sir Ernest Gowers (1965) was greatly offended by what he saw as the overuse of the expression within (or in) the framework of, meaning broadly ‘in the context of’. Presumably he grew tired of reading it in successions of official Civil Service memos and reports, and he devoted a lengthy article to discouraging its use; but his judgement that ‘it has become so trite that the very sight of it may nauseate the sensitive reader’ is personal rather than objective. It is also listed among the ‘clichés and modish and inflated diction’ in the Oxford Guide to English Usage (1994). It is true that effective images like this one can lose power through constant use, but it is difficult to find evidence of excessive use in the case under review, and it is hard to fault examples such as the following:

• The exercise of justice is only possible within the framework of established institutions which command respect —Roger Scruton, 1980

• Sound and colour go together naturally…and have enormous potential for healing and raising energy levels, especially when used within the framework of gentle, deep silence and inner stillness —Cornishman, 2004.