Difference Between Word and Term

Words and terms are related concepts. Both of them describe a symbol, such as a series of sounds, a series of letters, or a single glyph, that represents an object or concept.

The concept of a word is one of those things that is easier to understand than to explain. Most people know what a word is, but it’s difficult to put it into words. Still, the simplest and most precise definition is that a word is the smallest unit of language that conveys meaning to the majority of people you are trying to reach. The unit of language is defined, in the English script, to be a series of letters or sounds between spaces or pauses. For instance, ‘a’ is one of the smallest words in the language, but it is considered a separate word because it is between spaces. Antidisestablishmentarianism is pretty long, but it is still considered a word because it has a set meaning and it is separate from other words by means of spacing. In order for that unit to be a word, the intended audience must also know what it means, and a number of people must agree on how it is used.

In other cases, it can be used as synecdoche to describe a number of other things that are typically conveyed using words. There is a long list of possible meanings for that. It can mean the act of speaking, news or some other kind of contact, an order or formal request for information, a brief conversation, and a few others. In religion, ‘The Word’ often means the bible or some other religious contact from their deity. This is especially true in Christianity.

The word ‘word’ can also be used as a verb. It can mean deciding how to phrase something, such as lines in a letter. To word a letter carefully means to take a lot of time deciding which words should be used in the letter and to think about how those choices will be read by the person it its being sent to. Some less common meanings are to flatter someone, to overpower someone with words, and to speak to others, though the latter is much less common in modern English.

Terms are types of words: all terms are words or made up of words, but not all words are terms.  Specifically, a term is a word that is typically used in a specialized field. For example, ‘sternum’ is the medical term for the bone at the front of the ribcage. This is especially found in medicine and other sciences.

Another common definition is that a term has a different meaning in one particular situation than it does in normal use. For instance, the word ‘particular’ most often means something that is defined by being unique or less like others of its kind. However, in logic, the word ‘particular’ means a sentence that is true in some cases, but not in all. In everyday use, ‘particular’ would be a word. In the logic branch, when taking about the particular sentences, the word ‘particular’ would be a term.

Because they are so strongly associated with doctors and scientists, ‘term’ also takes on a more formal role and you are most likely to see it when talking about scientific or medical matters. ‘Word’ is neutral, except in some types of slang, and it can be found in pretty much any type of media.

Some people will misuse the word ‘term’, since some of them think it is merely a fancier word for ‘word’. It is not, and it has a completely separate meaning.

To summarize, while all terms are words, not all words are terms. ‘Word’ is the basic, neutral word for things that represent concepts. Terms, however, are specialized words, and they tend to be more formal because of their common associations.

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