Jargon Examples

Jargon is a term used to describe words that are specific to a particular subject; which are incomprehensible to persons unacquainted with the area under discussion. Jargon is generally related to a specific profession, which is why it sounds like gobbledygook to people outside that occupation. In many cases, jargon comprises word abbreviations, although it's often confused with the use of slang, or colloquialisms in everyday language. The following are some examples of jargon and the different ways it exhibits.

Jargon and Slang
Slang and jargon are often used loosely in the same sense, though there is a thin line of difference. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines "slang", as "an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech." Essentially, slang is synonymous with phrases that are used in such a way that their significance is different from what they literally mean. Slang may also be peculiar to a region or a community, and therefore unintelligible outside it. For example, the slang 'Down Under', as it's commonly known, is practically unintelligible to people from other parts of the world.

Jargon, however, can be categorized broadly as per profession or subject, since in its technical avatar, it would fall into a specific classification. The following are some examples to differentiate between jargon and slang:

• Did you hook up with him? (Slang)
• Get me his vitals. (Medical jargon)

• She's an ace guitarist. (Slang)
• I can't seem to scroll on my mouse. (Computer jargon)

Jargon Examples

Medical Jargon: The following are some examples of commonly used medical abbreviations and terminology.

• STAT: Immediately
• ABG: Arterial Blood Gas
• Vitals: Vital signs
• C-Section: Cesarean Section
• Claudication -limping caused by a reduction in blood supply to the legs
• CAT Scan/CT Scan: Computerized Axial Tomography
• MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Computer Jargon: Most of these examples are abbreviations, which can be likened to a shorthand code for the computer literate and the Internet savvy. Take a look at some common instances.

• BRB: Be right back
• Gr8: Great
• FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
• Lol: Laugh out Loud
• CYA: See you around
• RAM: Random Access Memory
• GB: Gigabyte
• ROM: Read-only Memory
• Backup: Duplicate a file

Military Jargon: The following are some military jargon examples, that you may have heard.

• AWOL: Away without official leave
• BOHICA: Bend over, here it comes again
• SOP: Standard Operating Procedure
• AAA: Anti Aircraft
• UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
• 11 Bravo: Infantry
• WHOA: War Heroes of America
• Fatigues: Camouflage uniforms

Law Enforcement Jargon: Most of us are aware of police jargon examples, because of their widespread use in TV shows and movies. The following are some examples.

• APB: All Points Bulletin
• B&E: Breaking and Entering
• DUI: Driving Under the Influence
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
• Clean Skin: A person without a police record
• Miranda: Warning given during an arrest, advising about constitutional rights to remain silent and the right to legal aid.
• Perp: Perpetrator
• Slammer: Jail
• Social: Social Security Number

Common Jargon Examples: These are some jargon words examples which have been around for long enough to be widely recognized and uniformly understood.

• UFO: Unidentified Flying Object
• Poker face: A blank expression
• Back burner: Something low in priority, putting something off till a later date
• On Cloud nine: Very happy
• Sweet tooth: A great love of all things sweet
• Ballpark figure: A numerical estimated value
• Gumshoe/Private Eye: Detective
• Shrink: Psychiatrist

Jargon examples in literature are spotted especially in the works of authors (Shakespeare, Dickens) that echo speech, characteristic of that period. Speech patterns in past times are markedly different from patterns that are prevalent, as will be the case in a few decades from now. Language evolves, just like everything else. Business jargon examples similarly, also demonstrate the evolution of language. This is the category that gave rise to words like 'actionable' (anything on which action can be taken) and 'deintegrate' (to disassemble) which until a few years back, didn't even exist.

Using slang and jargon has become such an everyday part of life that we rarely pay attention to how much of our speech is peppered with phrases that wouldn't have made sense a few decades back. The very funny English language will never cease to amaze one with how much it evolves, and how phrases that were limited to a particular profession or even a demographic can become jargon examples over time. Change is the only constant as the saying goes!