The purpose of the ban was to "eliminate incorrect language use which can lead to misinterpretation... affecting the execution of orders and the conduct of military operations," said a resolution published on the defense ministry's X account.

So-called inclusive language was never officially approved in the military, but in 2020 then defense minister Agustin Rossi vowed the government would not disregard "cultural changes in gender relations."

This led to such unofficial distinctions as "soldado" for male members of the military and "soldada" for female ones, in line with the Spanish language rule of attaching a gender to every noun -- with words ending in "o" generally masculine and in "a" feminine.

There has been a recent trend in Spanish-speaking countries towards more gender inclusive language, for example in the use of plural nouns which are masculine even if a group is composed of mixed genders -- think "amigos" (friends) now often referred to as "amig@s" or "amigxs."

The new government directive states that in the military, Spanish must be used "according to the rules fixed by the Royal Spanish Academy and the regulations and manuals in force in the armed forces."

Milei who has described himself as an ultra-libertarian "anarcho-capitalist", holds conservative stances on issues such as abortion and climate change.

He has railed against so-called "gender ideology," a term loosely used by conservatives worldwide to oppose same-sex social rights, abortion and transgender rights; he calls them a form of "indoctrination" and "cultural Marxism."

His government has since shut down Argentina's national anti-discrimination agency as part of Milei's drive to slim down the state.