Semantic Diffusion: popular terms tend to dilute and lose their meaning.

· Bits and Bobs 3/31/25
  • Semantic Diffusion[sv]: popular terms tend to dilute and lose their meaning.
    • This was described by Martin Fowler.
    • Every time that someone uses a term, there's some non-zero chance they use it "wrong" or imprecisely.
    • That means the more people who are using it, the more likely that the term regresses to the mean.
      • Sliding from its original distinctive meaning to something more generic.
    • The more popular the term is, the faster the game of telephone goes and the faster it happens.