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Glite Dictionary
computerese

computerese

9.5
Language used by computer experts that most people find hard to understand
  • noun
  • /kəmˈpjuːtəˌriːz/
  • Jargon
translation icon : jerga informática
  • When discussing software, many people find it difficult to understand the computerese that developers use.

Examples

  • The IT technician explained the issue in such computerese that the clients struggled to follow along.

  • The manual was full of computerese that confused most new users.

  • He tried to explain the problem without using too much computerese.

  • Translating technical documents from computerese into everyday language can be challenging.

  • Many people find computerese confusing.

  • The article was filled with computerese that I didn't understand.

  • Only those trained in computerese can grasp the technical details of the programming manual.

Synonyms

jargon
vscomputerese
43 7.2

Words used by a group or job that others cannot understand

is specific to one technical profession rather than to any group
technobabble
vscomputerese
  • Informal
1 9.6

Confusing words from computers and high-tech areas that most people do not understand

is specialized technical language that is hard to understand but not just nonsense
gobbledegook
vscomputerese
  • Informal
1 9.8

Language that is hard to understand because it uses many difficult words or nonsense

is expert technical language meant to convey real meaning, not nonsense

Antonyms

common
  • Informal
149 1.0

Used in everyday speech rather than in formal writing

plainness
1 3.7

Being clear and easy to understand

How Technical

computerese
  • Jargon
9.5
jargon
43 7.2
terminology
  • Specialized
58 5.6
plainness
1 3.7

Surface Forms

computerese singular
computereses plural

Morphology

computerese = computer (transparent) = computer + ese

Formed by standard suffixation with '-ese' to mean the language or style associated with 'computer', so the meaning is directly predictable from the base.

Etymology

Computerese joins computer and the ending -ese, which means 'language of' as in Japanese or legalese. So computerese is the special, technical language used by computer people that is hard for most other people to understand.