Using Jargon: When, Where, and Why
At CMC, we’re big fans of words. And why not? Words have the power to compress complex ideas into a single written unit. Every era and area has its own special terms — “mitosis”, “unilateral”, “metamorphic” — which those in the know cook up to express fine distinctions.
At its best, jargon can make thoughts clearer and more specific. However, jargon has its drawbacks. When overused, it can make written content harder to process, alienating the reader.
Like so much else in content creation, the key is to know your audience and strategize accordingly. While technical terms can add flavor and precision to a piece, they should be used sparingly. Here are some tips on when and how to use jargon.
Why might one use jargon?
“Jargon” means specialized terminology used by a certain occupation or group of speakers. While it can be used in a negative sense, it’s also used as a value-neutral description of technical language. Whether jargon is needed depends on the subject matter and the intended audience of your piece.
You can think of technical language with a geographical analogy. Each specialized community of speakers, from a lab to a restaurant, will have their own “language space”. In this space, there will be special terms it is assumed other group members understand.
When you use jargon, you’re bringing the reader into a particular language space. That’s easy for the reader if they’ve been there before. If they haven’t, then take the time to show the reader around, explaining terms carefully.
Some common instances where jargon is appropriate include:
…when your target audience can be expected to know the terms in question. That audience could be a particular group of business people, academics, engineers, or politicians, or just readers of a certain educational background. For example, hard drive manufacturers talk about “flying height”, by which they mean the distance between the read/write spindle and the magnetized disk on which data is recorded.
…when you’re making a complicated point that involves drawing a careful distinction. For example, a journalist covering a legal story may need to distinguish between “charged” (by a state or prosecutor) and “indicted” (by a grand jury).
…when you’re addressing, rebutting, or commenting on another piece which used the jargon. While you can restate the views of other writers in jargon-free language, you may be accused of misinterpreting them. If you wanted to write a serious critique of a physics paper, be ready to use some physics terms.
Why might you want to avoid it?
While jargon has its uses, it also has potential downsides any writer should be aware of.
Jargon can strike people as pretentious and flowery. If overused, it can give the impression that the writer cares more about showing off than about aiding understanding.
Even when words are explained, technical terms can be hard to follow if too many are introduced within a single article.
Using jargon can limit your audience. As well as those who are unfamiliar with, or simply irritated by, your use of jargon, you should keep in mind that some in your readership will not have English as their first language. In business, this is especially important to keep in mind.
Jargon is slippery: it often changes. Even for specialists, small variations in definitions of important terms can easily lead to confusion. For example, “developing economy” might mean something slightly different to a politician and an economist.
What would Orwell do? Half of his “six rules for writing” involve compressing text and avoiding jargon. However, his final rule is “break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous”. So jargon is fine…sometimes.
How to know when to use it
Ultimately, there are no hard-and-fast rules for when jargon is appropriate, as it needs to be decided on a case-by-case basis. However, there are some general points to consider when you’re wondering whether to introduce some exotic term into your content.
Who’s your audience? What’s their background? Any jargon you introduce has the potential to narrow your audience. This can be good if you’re writing an industry newsletter, but is an obvious disadvantage if you’re trying to reach as many eyeballs as possible.
Is jargon absolutely necessary for the point you’re making? If you’re writing on something you know a lot about, it can be tempting to pepper your writing with technical words in order to express things more briefly. However, it’s often worth the effort to express yourself with simpler words where possible in order to make your writing more readable.
What is the purpose of your article? On one extreme, introducing jargon is sometimes the whole point of an educationally oriented article. On the other extreme, a product description, a political op-ed, and a call for donations would all probably benefit from being as accessible as possible. Of course, a lot of content is in-between: that explainer article you’re writing on tax policy might benefit from a few special terms, but take care not to overdo it.
Jargon can be a matter of degree. Defining one or two terms is one thing, but if it’s more than that, best leave it to the textbooks. Unless you’re writing a textbook, in which case full steam ahead!
Keep the intended length of your piece in mind. If your audience consists of specialists, jargon can help you express yourself more briefly. In the case of a general audience, properly explaining technical terms may take up space that could be put to better use.
When you do use jargon, explain it properly. When you first introduce an unfamiliar word, employ an em-dash — that’s the “—” symbol — to define the term. Also make sure to spell out acronyms on their first appearance.
Conclusion
Eschew obfuscation!
Avoid confusion! Clear writing is an art, not a science. To communicate your message to your audience, the level of jargon which you use is a crucial consideration. A technical term here and there can help sharpen your ideas and compress your prose. However, overuse risks causing confusion and narrowing your readership. Jargon is like cake: a little is great, but it’s best in moderation.
