jargon

1 of 2

noun

jar·​gon ˈjär-gən 

-ˌgän

1

: the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or group

sports jargon

2

: obscure and often pretentious language marked by circumlocutions and long words

an academic essay filled with jargon

3

a

: confused unintelligible language

b

: a strange, outlandish, or barbarous language or dialect

c

: a hybrid language or dialect simplified in vocabulary and grammar and used for communication between peoples of different speech

jargony

ˈjär-gə-nē 

-ˌgä-nē

adjective

jargon

2 of 2

verb

jargoned; jargoning; jargons

intransitive verb

1

: jargonize

2

: twitter, warble

Synonyms

Noun

• argot
• cant
• dialect
• jive
• language
• lingo
• patois
• patter
• shop
• shoptalk
• slang
• terminology
• vocabulary

Verb

• cheep
• chirp
• chirrup
• chitter
• peep
• pip
• pipe
• tweet
• twitter

Example Sentences

Noun

medical jargon that the layman cannot understand

an academic essay filled with jargon

Verb

the birds who began jargoning to greet the dawn

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For example, a doctor could ask ChatGPT to simplify complicated medical jargon so that someone with a seventh-grade education could understand. —Jen Christensen, CNN, 22 Feb. 2023

Swap jargon for plain language to increase the odds your message is received and understood. —Amy Blaschka, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2023

Embedding jargon in websites can be a precursor to action or its result. —Kenin M. Spivak, National Review, 18 Dec. 2022

Coming to you weekly and minus any intense academic jargon? —Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2022

By the time a salesperson has finished showing fancy graphs and charts about how much a homeowner will save in energy costs, and thrown about some jargon about reducing the carbon footprint, most people cannot sign the paperwork fast enough. —Dallas News, 2 Oct. 2022

In the jargon of quantum theory, the friend’s result is a hidden variable. —George Musser, Science | AAAS, 17 Aug. 2020

That requires deputy coroners translating the medical jargon to use some plain, blunt language about a death. —John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Dec. 2022

Thursday morning by Downing Street staffers to clarify that the vote was enforced with a three-line whip, Westminster jargon meaning anyone who broke ranks and voted against the government would be disciplined. —Patrick Smith, NBC News, 20 Oct. 2022

Verb

That’s like the same thing that happened in 2008 when everybody was bedazzled by all these Wall Street jargon terms like collateralized debt obligations. —Recode Staff, Recode, 13 June 2018

That’s like the same thing that happened in 2008 when everybody was bedazzled by all these Wall Street jargon terms like collateralized debt obligations. —Recode Staff, Recode, 13 June 2018

See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French jargun, gargon

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing jargon

• Chinook jargon

• Chinook jargon

Kids Definition

jargon

noun

jar·​gon

ˈjär-gən,

-ˌgän

1

: a mixed language used for communication between peoples whose native languages are different

2

: the special language of a particular activity or group

legal jargon

3

: language that is not clear and is full of long important-sounding words

Medical Definition

jargon

noun

jar·​gon ˈjär-gən, -ˌgän 

1

: the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity, group, profession, or field of study

medical jargon

2

: unintelligible, meaningless, or incoherent speech (as that associated with Wernicke's aphasia or some forms of schizophrenia)