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jargon

¹

[ jahr-guhn, -gon ]

/ ˈdʒɑr gən, -gɒn /

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noun

the language, especially the vocabulary, peculiar to a particular trade, profession, or group: medical jargon.

unintelligible or meaningless talk or writing; gibberish.

any talk or writing that one does not understand.

language that is characterized by uncommon or pretentious vocabulary and convoluted syntax and is often vague in meaning.

verb (used without object)

to speak in or write jargon; jargonize.

OTHER WORDS FOR jargon

2 babble, gabble, twaddle.

See synonyms for jargon on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR JARGON

We Asked: When Have You Been Overwhelmed By An Industry's Jargon?

Every industry has its own jargon ... have you ever been overwhelmed with the words and phrases at a new job?

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QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of jargon

¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English jargoun, from Middle French; Old French jargon, gargun, derivative of an unattested expressive base garg-; see gargle, gargoyle

synonym study for jargon

1. See language.

OTHER WORDS FROM jargon

jar·gon·y, jar·gon·is·tic, adjectivejar·gon·ist, jar·gon·eer, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH jargon

cant, jargon , slang

Words nearby jargon

jardin anglais, jardiniere, Jared, Jaredite, jarful, jargon, jargonize, jarhead, jarl, Jarlsberg, Jarman

Other definitions for jargon (2 of 2)

jargon²

[ jahr-gon ]

/ ˈdʒɑr gɒn /

noun

a colorless to smoky gem variety of zircon.

Also jar·goon

[jahr-goon]. /dʒɑrˈgun/.

Origin of jargon

²

1760–70; <French <Italian giargone ≪ Persian zargūn gold-colored

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use jargon in a sentence

Google’s goal is to help searchers understand jargon or technical terms they might not fully understand, by giving them this additional context without having to leave the page.
Google tests multiple contextual links in featured snippets|Barry Schwartz|November 24, 2020|Search Engine Land
There is complex or technical jargon not everyone understands.
Better conversations: The 7 essential elements of meaningful communication|matthewheimer|November 24, 2020|Fortune
The “Seventh Sanctum,” some kind of other god that’s part woman, part machine, talks about how you need to “upgrade your gear,” and doesn’t even bother with the pleasantries of high fantasy jargon.
‘Godfall’ impressions: A solid, sometimes boring adventure|Gene Park|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
Climbing is a complicated sport, full of nuances and its own jargon.
The Press Misreported Emily Harrington's Record|Andrew Bisharat|November 10, 2020|Outside Online

People also do this in an effort to portray their highly esteemed intellect—this is when heavy jargon and polysyllabic alternatives to concise declarative expressions appear.
Become a better writer with these online tools|Harry Guinness|October 20, 2020|Popular-Science
This is known as close air support, or CAS, in military jargon.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As fluent in drug trade jargon as Martian, Future peppers his lyrics with interstellar imagery befitting of his far out vocals.
Future Makes Us Rethink Everything We Thought We Knew About Rap Artists|Luke Hopping|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Baffled by the jargon-heavy consumer information manual, I chatted with Cheryl Luptowski from the NSF consumer affairs office.
Are Water Filters B.S.?|Michael Schulson|August 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Above all, she felt, there was a more pressing need for it than ever before, with jargon steadily taking over the world.
Will Jargon Be the Death of the English Language?|The Telegraph|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As his highly technical and jargon-laden presentation rambled on, Obama was beginning to lose patience.
Obama’s Defining Fight: How He Will Take On the NSA’s Surveillance State in 2014|Daniel Klaidman|December 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
We owe it neither to the Syriac tongue nor to the Hebrew, a jargon of the Syriac, in which adultery is called niuph.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
I'm quite out of the hunt here, however, for I can't pretend to understand the jargon of the thing.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Madame Probasco immediately transferred the glove to her forehead, and the jargon increased in rapidity.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson
Why introduce an unintelligible jargon, when we may be understood by pronouncing a simple name?
Buffon's Natural History. Volume VII (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
They are a people within a people, differing in dress as well as in language, which is a jargon of German-Hebrew.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks

British Dictionary definitions for jargon (1 of 2)

jargon¹

/ (ˈdʒɑːɡən) /

noun

specialized language concerned with a particular subject, culture, or profession

language characterized by pretentious syntax, vocabulary, or meaning

gibberish

another word for pidgin

verb

(intr) to use or speak in jargon

Word Origin for jargon

C14: from Old French, perhaps of imitative origin; see gargle

British Dictionary definitions for jargon (2 of 2)

jargon²

jargoon (dʒɑːˈɡuːn)

/ (ˈdʒɑːɡɒn) /

noun

mineralogy rare a golden yellow, smoky, or colourless variety of zircon

Word Origin for jargon

C18: from French, from Italian giargone, ultimately from Persian zargūn of the golden colour; see zircon

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for jargon

jargon

A special language belonging exclusively to a group, often a profession. Engineers, lawyers, doctors, tax analysts, and the like all use jargon to exchange complex information efficiently. Jargon is often unintelligible to those outside the group that uses it. For example, here is a passage from a computer manual with the jargon italicized: “The RZ887-x current loop interface allows the computer to use a centronics blocked duplex protocol.” (See slang.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.