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Definition and Examples of Jargon – Jargon Meaning

Last Updated : 07 Mar, 2024
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Jargon is special words or expressions used by a specific group, mostly in certain professions. It is like a shortcut language for experts but can be confusing for others who are not familiar with it. Jargon makes talking about complex ideas quicker among those who understand it.

What is Jargon?

Jargon refers to specialized language or terminology used within a particular profession, industry, or interest group. It often consists of technical terms, abbreviations, or acronyms that may be unfamiliar to those outside the group. Jargon facilitates communication among members of the same group but may be difficult for outsiders to understand without prior knowledge or experience in the field.

Noun, jar-gon

Jargon Meaning in English

  • Special words or expressions used by specific groups.
  • Common in professions and specialized fields.
  • Acts as a shortcut for complex ideas.
  • Easily understood by insiders but confusing for outsiders.
  • Speeds up communication among experts.
  • Can create confusion in general conversations.

Also Read: English Grammar

Jargon Synonyms

Technical language, lingo, terminology, slang, argot, can’t, dialect, jive, patois, vernacular.

Opposite of Jargon Antonyms

Plain language, layman’s terms, everyday language, simple language, common language, straightforward speech, general language, clear language, standard language, universal language.

Jargon Examples

Some commonly used Jargon are:

Slang Term Meaning
Ghosting Suddenly cutting off all communication without explanation.
Salty Being bitter or upset about something.
Lit Describing something that’s exciting, fun, or amazing.
Shade Subtly expressing contempt or disrespect.
Flex To show off or boast.
Savage Describing someone who acts without regard to consequences, often in a humorous or admired way.
FOMO Fear of Missing Out, anxiety that an exciting event may be happening elsewhere.
Binge-watch Watching multiple episodes of a TV series in rapid succession.
Throw shade To give someone a dirty look or publicly criticize them.
Woke Being aware of social injustices.

Use of Jargon in Sentence

  • After two dates, he just ghosted me, and I haven’t heard from him since.
  • Seeing all their vacation photos is giving me major FOMO.
  • That joke was so good, LMAO!
  • His impression of the teacher had me ROFL.
  • IMO, the sequel was even better than the original movie.
  • I decided to go on a spontaneous road trip because, well, YOLO!
  • TBH, I prefer staying in and reading over going out to parties.

Jargon Example in Workplace

Jargon Definition Example
Touch Base To get in contact with someone for a brief update or discussion. Let’s touch base next week to discuss the project’s progress.
Think Outside the Box To think creatively, beyond the usual ways of thinking. We need to think outside the box to solve this marketing challenge.
Synergy Working together cooperatively to create a greater outcome. The synergy between the sales and marketing teams led to record-breaking results.
Deep Dive To thoroughly explore or investigate a topic or issue. In tomorrow’s meeting, we’ll take a deep dive into the quarterly financial report.
Bandwidth The capacity to handle tasks or workload. I don’t have the bandwidth to take on another project this month.
Low-Hanging Fruit An easy task or target that can be achieved with minimal effort. Let’s start by tackling the low-hanging fruit to quickly boost our sales numbers.
Pivot To make a significant change in strategy or direction. The company had to pivot its strategy in response to the changing market.
Scalability The ability of a business or system to grow or expand. Our software’s scalability allows us to easily add more users as our client base grows.
Leverage To use a resource effectively to gain an advantage. We can leverage our partnership with the media to increase our brand visibility.
Onboarding The process of integrating a new employee into the organization. The HR team has streamlined the onboarding process for new hires.
Buy-In Agreement or approval from others, especially for a plan or idea. We need buy-in from the upper management before proceeding with the plan.
Circle Back To revisit or follow up on a topic at a later time. I’ll circle back with the IT department for an update on the system upgrade.
Elevator Pitch A brief and persuasive speech to spark interest in what your organization does. At the networking event, her elevator pitch attracted several potential investors.

Jargon Example in Business

Business Jargon Example
Synergy “By combining our resources, we can create a synergy that will boost our market presence.”
Low-hanging fruit “Let’s first address the low-hanging fruit in our project list to achieve quick wins.”
Bandwidth “I don’t have the bandwidth to take on another task this week due to my current workload.”
Deep dive “We need to do a deep dive into our customer feedback to understand the underlying issues.”
Pain point “Our product development should focus on addressing the main pain points of our target audience.”
Scalability “The scalability of our platform is crucial for handling the increasing number of users.”
Paradigm shift “The industry is undergoing a paradigm shift towards more sustainable practices.”

Jargon Example in Tech

Tech Jargon Example
Cloud computing “Our company has moved most of our data storage to cloud computing for better accessibility.”
Big data “We use big data analytics to gain insights into consumer behavior and market trends.”
Internet of Things (IoT) “The Internet of Things has enabled us to connect everyday devices to the internet for automated control.”
Artificial Intelligence (AI) “We’re integrating artificial intelligence into our customer service to provide smarter, automated responses.”
Blockchain “Blockchain technology is revolutionizing how we approach data security and transactions.”
Machine Learning “Our new app uses machine learning to personalize content based on user preferences.”
Augmented Reality (AR) “Augmented reality is changing the way we experience shopping, allowing us to try products virtually.”

Jargon Example in IT

IT Jargon Example
Firewall “To protect our network from unauthorized access, we’ve installed an advanced firewall.”
Encryption “All sensitive data is secured using end-to-end encryption for privacy protection.”
Virtualization “We use virtualization to create multiple virtual machines on a single physical server.”
Bandwidth “We need to increase our internet bandwidth to support the growing number of remote workers.”
Backend/Frontend “Our development team is divided into backend and frontend specialists focusing on server-side and user interface aspects, respectively.”
Data mining “Through data mining, we’ve extracted valuable insights from our large customer data sets.”
API (Application Programming Interface) “The new application features an API that allows it to seamlessly integrate with other software.”

Jargon Example in Marketing

Marketing Jargon Example
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) “We’re focusing on SEO to improve our website’s visibility on search engine results pages.”
Conversion rate “Our latest campaign significantly improved the conversion rate of our online ads.”
Branding “Our branding strategy revolves around creating a strong, recognizable identity for our product.”
B2B (Business to Business) “Our company primarily operates in the B2B sector, providing services to other businesses.”
Customer persona “We’ve developed several customer personas to better target our marketing efforts.”
Viral marketing “The campaign went viral, significantly boosting our brand’s online presence.”
Content marketing “Our content marketing strategy includes blogs, videos, and social media posts to engage our audience.”

Jargon Example in Software Development

Software Development Jargon Example
Agile “Our team follows Agile methodologies to adapt quickly to changing project requirements.”
Scrum “We hold daily Scrum meetings to discuss progress and tackle any immediate issues.”
Git “We use Git for version control to manage and track changes in our codebase.”
Debugging “The development phase includes extensive debugging to ensure the software is free of errors.”
Iteration “Each iteration of the product includes new features and improvements based on user feedback.”
Refactoring “Refactoring the existing code improved its efficiency and readability.”
Repository “Our project’s source code is stored in a central repository for easy access and collaboration.”
Legal Jargon Example
Litigation “The company is currently involved in litigation over intellectual property rights.”
Jurisdiction “The case falls under the jurisdiction of the federal court due to its interstate nature.”
Subpoena “A subpoena was issued to the witness to appear in court and provide testimony.”
Tort “The lawsuit was filed on the grounds of tort, claiming negligence and harm.”
Affidavit “She submitted an affidavit to the court affirming the accuracy of her statements.”
Deposition “During the deposition, the witness provided crucial information about the case.”
Plaintiff “The plaintiff in the lawsuit is seeking damages for breach of contract.”

Jargon Example in Medical

Medical Jargon Example
Acute “The patient was admitted with acute appendicitis requiring immediate surgery.”
Chronic “She has been managing chronic arthritis for several years.”
Benign “Fortunately, the tumor was found to be benign and not cancerous.”
Malignant “The biopsy confirmed that the growth was malignant and needed urgent treatment.”
Metastasis “The cancer has shown signs of metastasis, spreading to other parts of the body.”
Anesthesia “The patient was put under anesthesia before the surgical procedure began.”
Biopsy “A biopsy was performed to determine the nature of the abnormal cells found in the tissue.”

Jargon Example in School

School Jargon Example
Pedagogy “The school’s pedagogy focuses on student-centered learning and interactive activities.”
IEP (Individualized Education Plan) “Her IEP includes specific strategies and accommodations to support her learning needs.”
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) “Our curriculum emphasizes STEM subjects to prepare students for future technological advancements.”
Flipped Classroom “In our flipped classroom model, students watch lectures at home and do hands-on activities in class.”
Summative Assessment “The end-of-term project will serve as a summative assessment to evaluate students’ overall understanding.”
Differentiated Instruction “Our teachers use differentiated instruction to cater to the diverse learning styles in the classroom.”
Bloom’s Taxonomy “We design our lesson plans based on Bloom’s Taxonomy to enhance critical thinking skills.”

Jargon Example in Communication

Communication Jargon Example
Feedback Loop “We’ve established a feedback loop in our team to ensure continuous improvement in our processes.”
Nonverbal Cues “His nonverbal cues during the interview, like maintaining eye contact, showed his confidence.”
Active Listening “Active listening during meetings helps us understand and address each team member’s concerns.”
Noise “The noise in the communication channel disrupted the clarity of the message.”
Context “Understanding the context of the conversation is crucial for effective communication.”
Channel “We use various channels, like email and instant messaging, for internal communication.”
Encoding “In marketing, encoding the message effectively ensures that it resonates with the target audience.”

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Conclusion

Jargon facilitates communication within specific groups, its excessive use can hinder understanding. Finding a balance between technicality and clarity is crucial. Utilizing jargon judiciously ensures effective communication without alienating others. Embracing simplicity alongside occasional jargon usage fosters mutual understanding across diverse audiences and fields.

Jargon – FAQS

What are jargons and examples?

Jargon is specialized language used within a profession for communication among peers, such as plumbers using terms like elbow, ABS, and rough-in.

What is the use of slang or jargon?

Jargon is specialized language for professions, used in both written and spoken contexts, while slang consists of informal words and phrases primarily used in spoken language.

What is English jargon?

Jargon denotes specialized language used within certain groups, making communication complex, as seen in the manual filled with self-improvement course jargon and slang.

What is an example of jargon in literature?

For instance, phrases like “Didn’t she look sickening last night? That gown was incredible” showcase colloquialism, often mistaken for slang or jargon due to their group-specific usage.

What is jargon in writing?

Jargon, often labeled as stuffy, abstract, and impersonal language prevalent in professional, bureaucratic, and journalistic writing, is sometimes used to compensate for a lack of creativity.

What are 5 uses of jargon?

Argon is used by people within the same profession or with common interests across various sectors like military, advertising, music, health, engineering, finance, education, law, and politics.

What is the difference between jargon and idioms?

Idioms differ from slang in that they are commonly understood and used by almost everyone, while slang and jargon are specific to smaller groups of people.



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