Terminological

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌtɜɹmənəlˈɒd͡ʒɪkəl/

Definitions

1. Relating to or concerning the system of specialized terms and their meanings used in a particular field or discipline
2. Pertaining to the specific vocabulary and nomenclature associated with a particular field of study or area of expertise
3. Connected to the set of expressions and terminology unique to a certain profession or academic discipline

Etymology: "Terminological" is a straightforward formation: it takes "terminology" and adds the adjective-forming suffix "-ical," which English built from Latin "-icus" and "-alis" passing through Old French and Middle English. The suffix does the grammatical work, turning a noun for a body of specialist vocabulary into a word describing things connected with that vocabulary. The noun underneath is the more interesting piece. "Terminology" is built from "term" plus the combining element "-logy," so its literal sense is something like "the study of terms." Over time it came to name the set of words used in a particular field rather than the study of those words, which is the sense the adjective inherits. The adjective therefore carries a small irony: "terminological" is itself a long, technical-sounding word, and it is used precisely to describe the specialist vocabulary of a field, so the word is a clear example of the kind of language it describes.

Synonyms: lexical, nomenclatural