Jargon
/ˈdʒɑːɡən/
Definitions
2 meaningsSpecial words or expressions that are used by a particular group or profession and are difficult for others to understand.
/ˈdʒɑːɡən/
Specialized language of a group or profession
The lawyer explained the contract in legal jargon that I barely understood.
💡 Simply: Think of jargon as the secret code words that doctors, lawyers, or tech people use when they're talking to each other. It's like a special language only they know, so it can be confusing for anyone else to understand.
👶 For kids: Secret words that only some people understand.
More Examples
The marketing team's presentation was full of jargon that alienated potential customers.
Understanding technical jargon can be a barrier to entry for those new to the field.
How It's Used
"The report was filled with medical jargon that was difficult for the average reader to understand."
"The sales team used a lot of industry jargon when presenting to the client."
Confused, unintelligible language; gibberish.
/ˈdʒɑːɡən/
Confused, unintelligible speech or writing
The politician's speech was filled with jargon that failed to address the real issues.
💡 Simply: When people talk a lot but you can't understand anything they are saying, that's jargon. Like they're speaking a different language, even if they're not!
👶 For kids: Words that don't make sense.
More Examples
The complexity of the instructions made them sound like utter jargon.
Critics dismissed the art film as pretentious jargon.
How It's Used
"His speech was just a lot of political jargon that didn't make any sense."
"The novel was criticized for its convoluted and unnecessary jargon."
Idioms & expressions
industry jargon
Specialized vocabulary used within a specific industry.
"The conference was full of industry jargon that confused many of the attendees."
legalese
The formal and technical language of legal documents.
"The contract was written in complex legalese, making it difficult to understand."
From Old French *jargon* ('twittering of birds, gibberish'), of uncertain origin, possibly related to Proto-Germanic *gār- ('to speak, shout').
The word *jargon* has been used to describe specialized language and unintelligible speech since the 14th century.
Memory tip
Imagine a flock of birds (jargon's origin) making sounds only *they* understand. It's the same for specialists!
Word Origin
"twittering of birds, gibberish"