[buzzword]
Template documentation[view] [edit] [history] [purge]This template should be used to mark buzzwords, which are often found in articles about business and political topics, especially when they have been edited by people with a conflict of interest. One of the most common examples is the use of the word "solution" to refer to a product or service.
- This template adds articles to Category:Wikipedia articles containing buzzwords, or a dated subcategory thereof.
While the guideline WP:Jargon may apply, there is a distinction between the two concepts: Buzzwords differ from jargon in that they have the function of impressing or of obscuring meaning, while jargon (ideally) has a well-defined technical meaning, if only to specialists. However, the hype surrounding new technologies often turns technical terms into buzzwords, and a lot of corporate jargon overlaps with marketing buzzwords. The concept is also distinct from peacock wording, i.e. excessive aggrandizement. See the #See also section, below, for various templates for flagging jargon and peacock wording.
Usage
To tag such case put {{buzzword inline|date=February 2025}} right after the buzzword(s). It produces a superscripted notation like the following example:
ABC, Inc. is a multinational information technology company providing software solutions[buzzword] in vanguard growth markets.[buzzword]
When and when not to use this template
Use this for buzzwords only, and only when you are not certain what to replace them with (otherwise just replace them). This may help:
- Buzzwords: solution, paradigm, proactive, strategic, ROI, granular, market-driven, customer-focused, results-oriented, entrepreneurial
- Jargon: myocardial infarction (for 'heart attack'), acetylsalicylic acid (for 'aspirin'), Canis lupus familiaris (for 'dog'), Party of the First Part (for 'you')
- Peacock language: best, foremost, world authority on, most successful, leading, runaway success, exciting, blockbuster, whirlwind tour, show-stopping, tour de force, chart-topping (note that if reliable sources prove a fact, certain "claims to fame" may be permissible, e.g. "award-winning", "bestseller", etc., though these should almost always be given in specific terms with citations, e.g. "winner of the Best Actress Oscar in 1999" or "was on the New York Times Bestseller List for five weeks in 2005").
Notes
- This template is a self-reference.
- Please do not subst: this template.
See also
- {{Buzzword}} – banner template, to flag whole article or section using buzzwords
- {{Clarify}} – inline template to request clarification of generally unclear wording
- {{Peacock inline}} – inline template to flag aggrandizing wording
- {{Promotion inline}} – inline template to flag promotional or advertising-like wording
- {{Technical}} and {{Technical statement}} (inline version) – to flag excessively technical jargon
- {{Weasel inline}} – inline template that will categorise tagged articles into Category:Articles with weasel words
- WP:What Wikipedia is not § Wikipedia is not a soapbox (policy)
- WP:Cleanup process (info page)
- WP:Conflict of interest (policy)
- WP:Manual of Style/Words to watch (guideline)
- WP:Spam (guideline)
- WP:Template messages/Cleanup (index of additional cleanup templates)
- WP:On Wikipedia, solutions are mixtures and nothing else (essay)
- WP:Writing better articles (essay)
