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| jar·gon [ jr gən ] (plural jar·gons) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. specialist language: language that is used by a group, profession, or culture, especially when the words and phrases are not understood or used by other people
 typesetters' jargon
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2. unintelligible language: pretentious or meaningless language
(
disapproving
)
Cut the jargon and get to your point.
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3. linguistics
Same as pidgin
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| [14th century. < Old French jargoun] |
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| Word Usage |
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The term jargon is applied chiefly to the words and phrases that are used and understood by people within a specific profession or field of study but not by others, as in medical jargon, business jargon, or computer jargon. Examples of Internet jargon include secure server, netiquette, spamming, and viral marketing. Jargon is an indispensable means of communication within its own sphere, but it is criticized when used unnecessarily in everyday contexts, or to impress, intimidate, or confuse outsiders.
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| Word Key: Synonyms |
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jargon, vocabulary, terminology, slang, idiom, argot, parlance, lingo, -speak, -ese
CORE MEANING: language used by a particular group of people
jargon language that is used by a group, profession, or culture, especially when the words and phrases are not understood or used by other people.;
technical jargon
The opportunity is staring us in the face to generate a billion-dollar "tourism product" - to use that awful jargon.
vocabulary the set of words associated with a subject or area of activity, or used by an individual person;
the fashionable vocabulary of the times
Ongoing scientific, technological, and social changes generate a stream of new vocabulary.
terminology the expressions and words, or a set of expressions and words, used by people involved in a specialized activity or field of work;
commercial and financial terminology
Of the world's 53 subspecies of Asian hornbills, only nine, in the terminology of a recent conference on the status of these birds, are "stable."
slang words, expressions, and usages that are casual, vivid, racy, or playful replacements for standard ones, are often short-lived, and are usually considered unsuitable for formal contexts;
Bean is a slang word for head.
He used vulgar slang that is not appropriate for someone in his high position.
idiom the style of expression of a specific person or group;
This time the writer has failed to capture the American idiom.
I don't think there will be much difference in the central thrust of their politics; the idiom might change, but not the substance.
argot the special language used by a particular group of people;
teenage argot
the argot of the diplomatic community
parlance the style of speech or writing used by people in a specific context or profession;
Now accepted in common parlance, the computer term "WYSIWYG" stands for What You See Is What You Get.
Uptown is, in a real estate agent's parlance, a "desirable part of the city."
lingo (informal) a foreign language, or a specialized set of terms requiring to be learned like a language;
My wife picked up the lingo as soon as we moved here.
An expert can help translate the complicated lingo of lawyers into plain English.
-speak (disapproving) a suffix added to nouns to describe the language used by a particular group of people or in a particular context;
I'm not put off by people using tech-speak.
The 40-page document is salted with politician-speak.
-ese (disapproving) a suffix added to nouns to describe the style of language associated with a particular group of people;
No matter what the government has to announce, it always seems to come out in a strangulated officialese. |
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