Term of art
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A term of art is a word or phrase that is in common use, but, in a particular context, has a precise meaning. It is the antithesis of jargon, where an uncommon word or phrase is used to describe something very specific, but where the jargon term is incomprehensible outside the area of use. Terms of art and jargon sometimes are characterized as different forms of slang. "Term of art" probably first came into use in law. [1] Random House makes the nuanced distinction that "art" is not used as in "artist", but as the specialized usage of an "artisan's" vocabulary.
The U.S. courts have given particular attention to the phrase.[3] "According to the Court, punitive damages is a legal term of art that has a widely accepted common-law meaning under state law." [4] References
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