technobabble

noun

Synonyms of technobabblenext
: technical jargon

Did you know?

Technobabble was formed by combining techno- (meaning "technical or technological") with babble ("continuous meaningless vocal sounds"), and unsurprisingly suggests language which sounds highly technical and is incomprehensible to the listener. Techno- as a combining form has given English speakers a number of interesting words, including but not limited to technocrat, technophile and technophobia, techno-thriller, technopreneur, and even technostructure ("the network of professionally skilled scientists, engineers, and administrators that tends to control the economy"). Techno- itself traces back to the same root word that gave us technology, namely the Greek word technē, meaning "art, craft, or practical skill."

Examples of technobabble in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sure, the ending is solved by a convenient bit of technobabble, but even that could be seen as spoofing Trek. Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2025 Simplification is about presenting information in a manner that best resonates with an audience and putting aside technobabble that may be confusing. Steve Durbin, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 With its iconic captains, philosophical dilemmas and unforgettable alien encounters, the Trek universe is rich with lore, logic, and a whole lot of technobabble. Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2025 Tom’s latest vehicle for death-defying stunts and — at this point — incoherent technobabble pits him against the AI from Dead Reckoning again. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 23 May 2025 Some individuals’ self-destructive dependence on AI to make sense of the world through religious prophecy, sci-fi technobabble, conspiracy theories, or all of the above has led to family rifts, divorces, and gradual alienation from society itself. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

techno- + babble, noun

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of technobabble was in 1981

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Technobabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technobabble. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on technobabble

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!