The objection to "pre-dreadnought" concerns applying a later classification to ships that were not called that at the time. Clarke wants the term abandoned, and Garius agrees with the point about contemporary naming. Their exchange distinguishes a modern historian's category from the terminology used when the ships served.
Notable Point · 1:54:32-1:54:49
Why "pre-dreadnought" is a retrospective label
The term "pre-dreadnought" is a later label for ships that were described differently when built.