# terminology

/ˌtɝmɪˈnɑɫədʒi/ (US) · /tˌɜːmɪnˈɒlədʒi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/terminology
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. specialized vocabulary

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

the set of special words used by people in a specific job or area of study.

For teachers: the collective set of terms used in a particular business, art, science, or profession; nomenclature.

- I found it hard to follow the doctor because he used so much medical terminology.
- The legal terminology used in the contract was so dense that the client required a line-by-line explanation from her solicitor.

Usage: Often used as an uncountable noun when referring to the general language of a field.

### 2. the study of terms

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Academic

the study of how special words are created and used in different fields.

For teachers: the systematic study of the labelling or designating of concepts particular to one or more subject fields.

- She is an expert in terminology and helps create new names for scientific discoveries.
- Modern terminology as a discipline focuses on the standardisation of technical language to ensure clarity across international research teams.

Usage: Used as an uncountable noun in this academic sense.

## Examples

- Medical terminology can be very difficult for patients to understand.
- The legal team spent hours explaining the complex terminology of the contract to the new business owners.
- While the underlying concepts were simple, the dense academic terminology made the research paper nearly inaccessible to anyone outside that specific subfield of linguistics.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.