You use jargon to refer to words and expressions that are used in special or technical ways by particular groups of people, often making the language difficult to understand.
The manual is full of the jargon and slang of self-improvement courses.
...the reading habits of 600,000 C2 males (marketing jargon for skilled manual workers).
Synonyms: parlance, slang, idiom, patter More Synonyms of jargon
More Synonyms of jargon
jargon in British English1
(ˈdʒɑːɡən)
noun
1.
specialized language concerned with a particular subject, culture, or profession
2.
language characterized by pretentious syntax, vocabulary, or meaning
3.
gibberish
4. another word for pidgin
verb
5. (intransitive)
to use or speak in jargon
Word origin
C14: from Old French, perhaps of imitative origin; see gargle
jargon in British English2
(ˈdʒɑːɡɒn) or jargoon (dʒɑːˈɡuːn)
noun
mineralogy rare
a golden yellow, smoky, or colourless variety of zircon
Word origin
C18: from French, from Italian giargone, ultimately from Persian zargūn of the golden colour; see zircon
jargon in American English1
(ˈdʒɑrgən)
noun
1.
incoherent speech; gibberish
2.
a language or dialect unknown to one so that it seems incomprehensible or outlandish
3.
a mixed or hybrid language or dialect; esp., pidgin
4.
the specialized vocabulary and idioms of those in the same work, profession, etc., as of sportswriters or social workers
a somewhat derogatory term, often implying unintelligibility see also slang1
5.
speech or writing full of long, unfamiliar, or roundabout words or phrases
verb intransitive
6.
jargonize
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈdiaˌlect
Derived forms
jargonistic (ˌjargonˈistic)
adjective
Word origin
ME < MFr, a chattering (of birds): ult. of echoic orig.
jargon in American English2
(ˈdʒɑrˌgɑn)
noun
a colorless or smoky variety of zircon
: also called jarˈgoon (ˈdʒɑrˈgun)
Word origin
Fr < It giargone < Ar zarqūn: see zircon
Examples of 'jargon' in a sentence
jargon
And, from the viewpoint of an outsider, the jargon was dense.
Lyall, Francis A DEATH IN TIME (2002)
He'd culled enough jargon from his own victim research to make it look like the real thing, he thought.
Val McDermid THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)
Thinking about Florence in that jarring bit of jargon always brought a mental smile to Carlisle's Ph. D. -trained ear.
J. A. Jance HOUR OF THE HUNTER (2002)
In other languages
jargon
British English: jargon NOUN
You use jargon to refer to words and expressions that are used in special or technical ways by particular groups of people.
The manual is full of the jargon and slang of self-improvement courses.
American English: jargon
Brazilian Portuguese: jargão
Chinese: 行话
European Spanish: jerga
French: jargon
German: Jargon
Italian: gergo
Japanese: 業界用語
Korean: 전문 용어
European Portuguese: jargão
Latin American Spanish: jerga
Chinese translation of 'jargon'
jargon
(ˈdʒɑːɡən)
n(u)
行话(話) (hánghuà)
1 (noun)
Definition
specialized language relating to a particular subject, profession, or group
full of the jargon and slang of self-improvement courses
Synonyms
parlance
He is, in common parlance, a `sad loser'.
slang
He liked to think he kept up with current slang.
idiom
I was irritated by his use of archaic idiom.
patter
the famous Glasgow patter
tongue
They feel passionately about their native tongue.
usage
Certain words may not even be in modern usage.
dialect
the number of Italians who speak only local dialect
cant
He resorted to a lot of pseudo-psychological cant to confuse me.
lingo (informal)
I don't speak the lingo.
patois
people from the ghetto who speak street patois
argot
the argot of the university campus
leetspeak, l33tspeak or 1337speak (computing)
netspeak (computing)
2 (noun)
Definition
pretentious or unintelligible language
Synonyms
gobbledegook
When he asked questions, all he got back was bureaucratic gobbledegook.
Greek (informal)
nonsense
Most orthodox doctors, however, dismiss this theory as complete nonsense.
drivel
What absolute drivel!
twaddle
He was baffled by the intellectual twaddle.
gibberish
When he did speak to her, he spoke gibberish.
mumbo jumbo
It's all full of psychoanalytic mumbo jumbo.
gabble
palaver
rigmarole
He gave me some rigmarole about the train being late.
balderdash
What a load of balderdash!
bunkum or buncombe mainly US)
bizzo (Australian, slang)
bull's wool (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of argot
Definition
slang or jargon peculiar to a particular group
the argot of the university campus
Synonyms
jargon,
slang,
dialect,
idiom,
vernacular,
patter,
parlance,
cant,
lingo (informal),
patois
in the sense of balderdash
Definition
stupid or illogical talk
What a load of balderdash!
Synonyms
nonsense,
balls (taboo, slang),
bull (slang),
rubbish,
shit (taboo, slang),
rot,
crap (slang),
garbage (informal),
trash,
bunk (informal),
bullshit (taboo, slang),
hot air (informal),
tosh (slang, British),
waffle,
pap,
cobblers (British, taboo, slang),
bilge (informal),
malarkey,
drivel,
twaddle,
tripe (informal),
gibberish,
guff (slang),
moonshine,
claptrap (informal),
hogwash,
bizzo (Australian, slang),
bull's wool (Australian, New Zealand, slang),
hokum (slang, US, Canadian),
piffle (informal),
poppycock (informal),
bosh (informal),
eyewash (informal),
kak (South Africa, taboo, slang),
tommyrot,
horsefeathers (US, slang),
bunkum or buncombe
in the sense of cant
Definition
specialized vocabulary of a particular group, such as thieves or lawyers
He resorted to a lot of pseudo-psychological cant to confuse me.
Synonyms
jargon,
slang,
vernacular,
patter,
lingo (informal),
argot
Nearby words of
jargon
janitor
Japanese
jar
jargon
jarring
jaundiced
jaunt
Synonyms of 'jargon'
jargon
Explore 'jargon' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of dialect
Definition
a form of a language spoken in a particular geographical area
the number of Italians who speak only local dialect
Synonyms
language,
speech,
tongue,
jargon,
idiom,
vernacular,
brogue,
lingo (informal),
patois,
provincialism,
localism
in the sense of drivel
Definition
foolish talk
What absolute drivel!
Synonyms
nonsense,
rubbish,
garbage,
malarkey (informal),
balls (taboo, slang),
bull (slang),
shit (taboo, slang),
rot,
crap (slang),
trash,
bunk (informal),
blah (slang),
bullshit (taboo, slang),
hot air (informal),
tosh (slang, British),
waffle (informal, British),
prating,
pap,
cobblers (British, taboo, slang),
bilge (informal),
twaddle,
tripe (informal),
dross,
gibberish,
guff (slang),
moonshine,
malarkey,
hogwash (informal),
hokum (slang, US, Canadian),
piffle (informal),
poppycock (informal),
balderdash,
bosh (informal),
eyewash (informal),
tommyrot,
horsefeathers (US, slang),
bunkum or buncombe,
bizzo (Australian, slang),
bull's wool (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
in the sense of gabble
Definition
rapid and indistinct speech
Synonyms
gibberish,
chatter,
jargon,
babble,
waffle (informal, British),
pap,
cackling,
drivel,
twaddle,
prattle,
blabber
in the sense of gibberish
Definition
rapid incomprehensible talk
When he did speak to her, he spoke gibberish.
Synonyms
nonsense,
balls (taboo, slang),
bull (slang),
shit (taboo, slang),
crap (slang),
garbage (informal),
bullshit (taboo, slang),
hot air (informal),
tosh (slang, British),
babble,
pap,
cobblers (British, taboo, slang),
bilge (informal),
drivel,
malarkey,
twaddle,
tripe (informal),
guff (slang),
prattle,
mumbo jumbo,
moonshine,
jabber,
gabble,
gobbledegook (informal),
hogwash,
hokum (slang, US, Canadian),
blather,
double talk,
piffle (informal),
all Greek (informal),
poppycock (informal),
balderdash,
bosh (informal),
yammer (informal),
eyewash (informal),
tommyrot,
horsefeathers (US, slang),
bunkum or buncombe,
bizzo (Australian, slang),
bull's wool (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
in the sense of idiom
Definition
the characteristic vocabulary or usage of a person or group
I was irritated by his use of archaic idiom.
Synonyms
language,
talk,
style,
usage,
jargon,
vernacular,
parlance,
mode of expression
in the sense of lingo
Definition
any foreign or unfamiliar language or jargon
I don't speak the lingo.
Synonyms
language,
jargon,
dialect,
talk,
speech,
tongue,
idiom,
vernacular,
patter,
cant,
patois,
argot (formal)
in the sense of mumbo jumbo
Definition
meaningless language
It's all full of psychoanalytic mumbo jumbo.
Synonyms
gibberish,
nonsense,
jargon,
humbug,
cant,
Greek (informal),
claptrap (informal),
gobbledegook (informal),
rigmarole,
double talk
in the sense of nonsense
Definition
something that has or makes no sense
Most orthodox doctors, however, dismiss this theory as complete nonsense.
Synonyms
rubbish,
hot air (informal),
waffle (informal, British),
twaddle,
balls (taboo, slang),
bull (slang),
shit (taboo, slang),
pants (slang, old-fashioned),
rot (old-fashioned),
crap (slang),
garbage (informal),
trash,
bunk (informal),
bullshit (taboo, slang),
tosh (slang, British),
bollocks (British, taboo, slang),
rhubarb,
pap,
cobblers (British, taboo, slang),
foolishness,
bilge (informal),
drivel,
tripe (informal),
gibberish,
guff (slang),
bombast,
moonshine,
claptrap (old-fashioned),
hogwash,
hokum (slang, US, Canadian),
blather,
double Dutch (British, informal),
piffle (old-fashioned),
poppycock (old-fashioned),
balderdash (old-fashioned),
bosh (informal),
eyewash (informal),
stuff and nonsense (old-fashioned),
tommyrot (old-fashioned),
horsefeathers (US, slang),
bunkum or buncombe,
bizzo (Australian, slang),
bull's wool (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
in the sense of patois
Definition
the jargon of a particular group
people from the ghetto who speak street patois
Synonyms
jargon,
slang,
vernacular,
patter,
cant,
lingo (informal),
argot
in the sense of patter
Definition
the jargon of a particular group
the famous Glasgow patter
Synonyms
jargon,
slang,
vernacular,
cant,
lingo (informal),
patois,
argot
Additional synonyms
in the sense of rigmarole
Definition
a set of incoherent or pointless statements
He gave me some rigmarole about the train being late.
Synonyms
twaddle,
story,
saga,
trash,
jargon,
yarn (informal),
gibberish,
spiel (informal),
balderdash
in the sense of slang
Definition
informal language not used in formal speech or writing and often restricted to a particular social group or profession
He liked to think he kept up with current slang.
Synonyms
colloquialisms,
jargon,
idioms,
argot,
informal language
in the sense of tongue
Definition
a language, dialect, or idiom
They feel passionately about their native tongue.
Synonyms
language,
speech,
vernacular,
talk,
dialect,
idiom,
parlance,
lingo (informal),
patois,
argot
in the sense of twaddle
Definition
silly, trivial, or pretentious talk or writing
He was baffled by the intellectual twaddle.
Synonyms
nonsense,
rubbish,
rot (informal),
garbage (informal),
balls (taboo, slang),
bull (slang),
shit (taboo, slang),
pants (slang),
gossip,
crap (slang),
trash,
chatter,
bullshit (taboo, slang),
hot air (informal),
tosh (slang, British),
waffle (informal, British),
pap,
cobblers (British, taboo, slang),
bilge (informal),
drivel,
tripe (informal),
guff (slang),
tattle,
moonshine,
verbiage,
gabble,
claptrap (informal),
gobbledegook (informal),
hogwash,
hokum (slang, US, Canadian),
rigmarole,
blather,
piffle (informal),
poppycock (informal),
inanity,
balderdash,
bosh (informal),
eyewash (informal),
trumpery,
tommyrot,
foolish talk,
horsefeathers (US, slang),
bunkum or buncombe,
bizzo (Australian, slang),
bull's wool (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
in the sense of usage
Definition
the way in which a word is actually used in a language