You're sitting in a meeting. Someone mentions "leveraging synergies to move the needle on our core competencies." You nod. Everyone else nods. But inside, you're wondering if anyone actually knows what was just said. This is the world of specialized language. So, what does jargon mean in a practical, everyday sense?
Jargon is basically the "inside baseball" of any profession or group. It’s a collection of terms, acronyms, and phrases that make perfect sense to people on the inside but sound like a foreign language to everyone else. It isn't just corporate fluff, though. Doctors use it to save time during surgery. Engineers use it to be precise about bridge loads. It’s a tool for efficiency that frequently turns into a wall for communication.
The Two Sides of the Jargon Coin
Most people hate jargon. They see it as a way for "experts" to sound smarter than they are. Sometimes, that's exactly what it is. It's a verbal peacock feather. But let's be fair for a second. Imagine a surgeon trying to describe a "myocardial infarction" using only "plain English" during an emergency. They’d have to say, "The blood flow to the muscular part of the heart has been blocked, causing the tissue to start dying." By the time they finish that sentence, the patient is in trouble. "MI" or "heart attack" is faster. In this context, jargon is a shortcut. It’s high-bandwidth communication for people who already share a massive amount of background knowledge.
The problem starts when that shortcut is used on people who don't have the map. When a lawyer hands you a contract filled with force majeure clauses and indemnification loops without explaining them, the jargon isn't helping anymore. It’s obscuring. It creates a power imbalance. If I use words you don't understand, I’m the one in control of the conversation.
Where Jargon Actually Comes From
Words don't just appear. They evolve. Most jargon starts as a technical necessity. Take the tech world. Terms like "containerization" or "latency" aren't there to be annoying; they describe very specific digital phenomena that don't have "normal" names yet.
Then you have the business world. This is where jargon goes to get weird. Why do we say "bandwidth" when we just mean "time"? Why do we "circle back" instead of "talking later"? Often, this happens because people want to sound professional or part of the "in-crowd." It’s social signaling. By using the latest buzzwords, you’re telling your colleagues, "I belong here. I read the same McKinsey reports you do."
David Ogilvy, the father of advertising, absolutely loathed this. He famously told his employees to never use words like "reconceptualize" or "judgmental." He thought it was the mark of a pretentious person. He wasn't wrong. When we lose the ability to speak simply, we often lose the ability to think clearly. If you can’t explain your job to a ten-year-old, you might not understand it as well as you think you do.
How Jargon Ruined Public Trust
Look at the 2008 financial crisis. The whole thing was built on jargon. Terms like "collateralized debt obligations" (CDOs) and "credit default swaps" were used to mask the fact that people were betting on bad mortgages. If the banks had called them "bundles of risky debt," people might have asked more questions. But they used jargon to make it sound boring and complicated.
This happens in healthcare, too. A study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that many patients leave their doctor's office without a clear understanding of their diagnosis because of "medspeak." When a doctor says "ambulate," a patient might not realize they just mean "walk." It’s a disconnect that has real-world consequences.
The Psychology of Using Big Words
Why do we do it? Honestly, it’s often about insecurity. A study from Columbia University found that people in "lower-status" positions are actually more likely to use jargon than those at the top. They use complex language to compensate for their perceived lack of authority. The CEO can afford to speak plainly. The middle manager feels they have to prove they’ve earned their seat at the table.
There’s also the "Curse of Knowledge." This is a cognitive bias where, once you know something, you find it almost impossible to imagine what it’s like not to know it. You forget that the average person doesn't know what "KPIs" or "SaaS" or "EBITDA" means. You aren't trying to be a jerk; you’ve just forgotten how to speak human.
Breaking the Jargon Habit
If you want to be a better communicator, you have to audit yourself. It’s hard. You’ve probably spent years learning these words. But clarity is the ultimate form of sophistication.
Start by identifying your "crutch words." Do you say "utilize" when "use" works? Do you talk about "synergy" when you mean "working together"?
Red Flags to Watch For:
- Acronym Overload: If your sentence has more than two acronyms, stop.
- Vague Verbs: "Impact," "Leverage," "Optimize." These are ghost words. They have no teeth.
- The "As Per" Trap: Just say "as." It’s shorter. It’s better.
When Jargon is Actually Good
Don't get me wrong. Jargon isn't the enemy. It's just a specialized tool. In gaming, if you tell your teammate to "aggro the mob," they know exactly what to do. If you had to say, "Please make the computer-controlled enemies angry so they attack you instead of me," you’d be dead before you finished.
In sports, a "pick and roll" or a "southpaw" or "offside" are essential terms. They allow fans and players to discuss complex movements with a single phrase. The key is knowing your audience. If you’re at a tech conference, go ahead and talk about "microservices architecture." If you’re at Thanksgiving dinner with your grandma, maybe just say you "build parts of websites."
Actionable Steps for Clearer Communication
Stop using jargon as a shield. It’s a habit you can break with a little intentionality. Being the person who explains things simply doesn't make you look dumb. It makes you the smartest person in the room because you're the one everyone actually understands.
👉 See also: Office Diversity Day: Why Most Companies Get It Wrong (And How to Actually Fix It)
1. The "Grandma Test"
Try explaining your most complex project to someone completely outside your field. If they look confused within thirty seconds, you're using too much jargon. Strip the industry-specific terms away until the core concept remains.
2. Verbs Over Nouns
Business jargon loves turning verbs into nouns. "We need to have a conversation about the implementation of the strategy." Just say: "We need to talk about how to start the plan." Action-oriented language is always clearer.
3. Define Your Terms
If you must use a technical term, define it immediately. "We're looking at the bounce rate—which is basically just the percentage of people who leave our site after looking at only one page." This keeps the experts happy and the newcomers included.
4. Read It Out Loud
Jargon usually sounds worse when spoken. If you read a paragraph of your writing and find yourself tripping over the words or losing the point halfway through, simplify it. Humans don't naturally speak in "deliverables" and "touchpoints."
5. Demand Clarity from Others
Don't be afraid to be the one who asks, "What does that mean in plain English?" Half the time, the person using the jargon is just as confused as you are. By asking for a definition, you force everyone to align on what is actually being discussed.
Communication is about connection, not exclusion. Jargon is a wall; plain language is a bridge. Choose to build bridges.