terminology
Americannoun
-
the system of terms belonging or peculiar to a science, art, or specialized subject; nomenclature.
the terminology of botany.
-
the science of terms, as in particular sciences or arts.
noun
-
the body of specialized words relating to a particular subject
-
the study of terms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of terminology
1795–1805; < Medieval Latin termin ( us ) term + -o- + -logy
Explanation
Terminology is vocabulary associated with a certain field of study, profession, or activity. Knowing the terminology is an important part of being able to work in a given profession. When your nuclear physicist friends start talking shop and it suddenly sounds like they are speaking a different language, they are probably using nuclear physics terminology. Education terminology includes "rubric," "lesson plan," "pop quiz," "term paper," "student engagement." Medical terminology includes "blood work," "CVC," "scalpel," "set." Lawyers sometimes use legal terminology such as "forthwith," "heretofore" and "the part of the first part" to intimidate people they might want to threaten to sue. It works.
Vocabulary lists containing terminology
Power Suffix: -ology
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Freak the Mighty
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "T"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The shared terminology is a natural expression of collective pride in 250 years of American independence.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
When health officials announced that one individual tested "mildly positive" on a PCR test, it raised questions about that terminology.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
Several users speculated that goblin terminology was how the model characterized itself, in lieu of identifying as a person with a soul.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
“Radical transparency” and “radical acceptance” are terms that have been co-opted by TikTokers and AI chatbots to coddle people with therapy-speak until the terminology has lost all its meaning.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
He used the point at infinity to prove a number of important new theorems, but Desargues’s colleagues couldn’t understand his terminology and concluded that Desargues was nuts.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
