The Difference Between a Term and a Concept
In academic writing, terminology management, and knowledge organisation, the distinction between a term and a concept is foundational. Although the two are often used interchangeably in everyday discourse, they refer to different analytical levels and serve different functions within scholarly communication.
1. Term
A term is a linguistic designation—a word, symbol, or multi-word expression—used to name or refer to something within a specific domain of knowledge. It is the verbal or written form that appears in texts and discourse (ISO, 2019).
Terms are language-dependent and context-sensitive. The same concept may be represented by different terms across disciplines, languages, or theoretical traditions, while the same term may carry different meanings depending on context (Cabré, 1999).
For example, the term “model” may denote distinct concepts in statistics, software engineering, or economics. In this sense, a term answers the question: “What is the label used in language?”
2. Concept
A concept is an abstract unit of knowledge formed by identifying common characteristics among objects, phenomena, or ideas. Unlike a term, a concept exists independently of language, though it is accessed and communicated through linguistic expressions (ISO, 2019; Temmerman, 2000).
Concepts are defined by their essential characteristics and their relationships to other concepts within a conceptual system. They represent meaning rather than form and remain relatively stable within a discipline, even when the terms used to express them change (Wüster, 1979).
A concept answers the question: “What is the underlying idea or meaning?”
3. Relationship Between Terms and Concepts
The relationship between terms and concepts is not one-to-one. Terminology theory recognises that:
- One concept may be designated by multiple terms (synonymy).
- One term may designate different concepts depending on context (polysemy).
This relationship is often summarised in terminology standards as follows:
Terms designate concepts; concepts are defined by characteristics (ISO, 2019).
In academic writing, this distinction is critical for precision, particularly in interdisciplinary research where identical terms may conceal divergent conceptual assumptions.
4. Implications for Glossaries and Academic Writing
In a thesis glossary, terms function as the entry headings, while definitions articulate the corresponding concepts. The glossary does not merely explain words; it clarifies the conceptual framework underpinning the research.
For example, when a glossary defines “theoretical framework”, it is not redefining the phrase linguistically, but explicating the concept as it is understood and applied within the thesis context. This practice promotes conceptual clarity, reduces ambiguity, and supports reader comprehension (Cabré, 1999; Temmerman, 2000).
5. Summary Distinction
In summary, a concept is knowledge with meaning, whereas a term is linguistic expression of a concept (of which there can be many variants).
The distinction can be concisely expressed as:
- A term is a linguistic label used in discourse.
- A concept is the abstract meaning or unit of knowledge that the label represents.
Recognising and maintaining this distinction is essential for rigorous academic writing, controlled vocabularies, and well-designed thesis glossaries.
See also:
Capturing and Sharing Reusable Terminology: The Missing Infrastructure of Knowledge Work
How to Write a Thesis Glossary: An Academic Guide
How to determine the difference between a concept or a term
References
Cabré, M.T. (1999) Terminology: Theory, Methods and Applications. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
ISO (2019) ISO 704:2019 Terminology work — Principles and methods. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization.
Temmerman, R. (2000) Towards New Ways of Terminology Description: The Sociocognitive Approach. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Wüster, E. (1979) Einführung in die Allgemeine Terminologielehre und Terminologische Lexikographie. Vienna: Springer.
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