This article introduces an academic debate on the legitimacy and appropriateness of the label used to designate the human resource development (HRD) domain. By means of the method of argumentation, supported by the exploration of theoretical constructs relating to categorization and meaning structures, this article asserts that the term HRD has too many different and, for some, negative connotations for people within and outside the field. In political terms it reminds us of the power of discourse in creating meaning. Attention is drawn to the fact that the extension of the domain that many have proposed in recent years is contested and can be construed as an attempt to exercise interpretative dominance over others. It contends that if we are to persuade others of the legitimacy of this claim, we need to replace the term with one that has neither historical baggage attached to it nor close terminological associations with other fields of study such as human resource management (HRM).
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