Definition
Loaded language is the choice of words that carry connotation beyond their dictionary meaning. "Militants" vs "combatants" vs "terrorists"; "eliminated" vs "killed" vs "martyred"; "retaliated" vs "attacked". Each pair refers to a similar real-world thing but encodes a different judgement.
Why this matters when reading conflict news
Most framing differences across outlets show up first in word choice. Reading two reports side by side, the loaded vocabulary is the most legible signal.