buzzword

noun

buzz·​word ˈbəz-ˌwərd How to pronounce buzzword (audio)
1
: an important-sounding usually technical word or phrase often of little meaning used chiefly to impress laymen
2
: a voguish word or phrase

called also buzz phrase

Examples of buzzword in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But behind the buzzwords are ingredients that fuel inflammation, spike blood sugar, and quietly damage your arteries over time. Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025 The film looks like a million bucks, has a high pedigree of talent, and mistakes constant poking for conversation, endless buzzwords for a buffet of food for thought, incendiary hypotheticals for insight. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025 But in politics—especially on the right—new buzzwords can signal what policy goals are coming. Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025 Lots of motivational buzzwords, but Monken believes having this guideline has helped the Black Knights win 58 percent of his games. Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for buzzword

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of buzzword was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Buzzword.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buzzword. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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