1
: an important-sounding usually technical word or phrase often of little meaning used chiefly to impress laymen
2
: a voguish word or phrase

called also buzz phrase

Examples of buzzword 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.
How marketing teams are evaluating a provider Teams choosing a partner for this work are learning to ask pointed questions instead of accepting a buzzword. Jason Phillips, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 That’s why, to Hamid Jafari, director of polio eradication for the WHO and a former director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Center for Global Health, infrastructure isn’t an abstract buzzword. Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026 The game is changing again and the buzzwords of the incoming managers are intensity, pressure and vertical football. George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Summary Leaders are increasingly sounding generic, often using similar buzzwords, a trend exacerbated by AI's ability to generate competent but unoriginal communication. Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buzzword

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of buzzword was in 1946

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buzzword.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buzzword. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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