Guide 133 / 200 4 alternatives 2-minute read
Better ways to say “Curate”
A museum verb that ate content.
i · Why avoid itTwo lines, no filler
"Curate" meant "care for a collection" — a museum term. It now means "pick three of anything." For most writing, "select," "choose," or "assemble" land plainer.
ii · Before & afterDrop-in demo
Before
A curated list of productivity tools.
After
A selected list of productivity tools.
iii · The alternatives4 ways out
- 01Select neutral
plain default
A selected list.
- 02Choose neutral
conversational
A chosen list.
- 03Assemble neutral
put together
An assembled set of tools.
- 04Hand-pick neutral
emphasise careful choice
Hand-picked by our research team.
iv · Brew tipKeep this one
Reserve "curate" for work that actually looks like a museum: preservation, sequencing, expertise.