pre·ten·tious
/prēˈten(t)SHəs/
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.
I first picked up an academic paper as an undergraduate student: a “yet-to-be-appreciated” article from the proceedings of an electrical engineering conference. Although I understood the words, the meaning was impenetrable. The density of the material was striking: every sentence carried information that, if not digested, would make it even more difficult to follow the next one. Technical jargon, buzzwords, and uncalled for acronyms (UFAs) were everywhere. I was left feeling utterly unable to understand what I had just read.
In the final stage of the research cycle, scientists must communicate their findings with colleagues, the scientific readership, and, indirectly, the public. In doing so, they must balance at least two competing needs:
Avoid saying anything that is imprecise or inaccurate. Otherwise, one risks rejection during peer review, or worse yet, multiple rounds of revision. As my Master’s supervisor explained to me, every sentence in a journal article must fall into one of two categories: it is either your finding, or is contained in the existing body of knowledge, in which case it must be accompanied by a citation. Although this is a rather extreme view, it illustrates the rigor that academic writing imposes.
Convey the meaning and significance of your findings in a manner that can be understood and appreciated by the audience. Otherwise, one risks not exerting any impact on the real world. Given the amount of labor that goes into experimental design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and, finally, the actual prompt engineering to compose the manuscript, this is a most demoralizing outcome.
In this age of hyper-specialization and, perhaps, saturation of many scientific domains, it is certainly understandable that scientific writing cannot be self-contained: the body of knowledge is just too vast. For all except those who study the primary subject matter, a high-level grasp of the key messages is often as much as one can realistically take away from modern day publications.
Nevertheless, you may have noticed another aspect of scientific writing that, while less serious, could be easily remedied. I am referring here to the frequent use of grandiose, antiquated, and over-the-top language when describing one’s work. These words are being selected over ones that, as I would like to argue, would be far more direct and “parsimonious” (see what I did there?) – and, at least for me, less irritating. Interestingly, there is a select group of such words that seem to recur over and over, almost as if they are some sort of light saber or magic wand wielded by the sorcerers of science (“I dare you to reject my opus!”). Indeed, this is a pretentious bunch I speak of (the words, that is).
Below, I present to you, the six (6) most pretentious words used in the scientific literature.
6. “Buttress”
but·tress
/ˈbətrəs/
provide (a building or structure) with projecting supports built against its walls.
increase the strength of or justification for; reinforce.
Example usage in scientific writing: “The findings of the longitudinal study buttress the hypothesis that early childhood interventions significantly impact cognitive development through adolescence.”
If Beavis and Butthead critiqued scientific articles instead of music videos, they would probably have a good chuckle over this one (and don’t tell me that you’ve never giggled internally when the author drops a buttress). The word simply means to “support”, and I fail to see any additional specificity present in “buttress” that is not contained in its simpler alternatives. Unless the manuscript is concerned with Baroque architecture, its usage clearly signifies an attempt to impress, and as such, it makes the most pretentious list.
5. “Dovetail”
dove·tail
/ˈdəvˌtāl/
fit together well, or cause something to fit together well with something else
Example usage in scientific writing: “The results of the genetic analysis dovetail with the earlier epidemiological evidence, suggesting a strong environmental component to the disease's expression.”
Doves are the international symbol of peace, and I certainly wish I had a tail. Nevertheless, here is a word that is virtually unused in regular discourse and yet appears with regularity in scientific papers. Why? Perhaps to avoid overly relying on its alternatives: “link” or “fit together”. Despite this, I would like to argue that opting for such a bizarre verb causes unnecessary confusion, Google searches, or at the very least, additional parse time. As magical as dovetails may be, employment of this word to describe the study of soil horizons or ruin theories signifies greater importance than is warranted – sorry doves, you also make the most pretentious list.
4. “Ameliorate”
a·me·lio·rate
/əˈmēlyəˌrāt/
make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.
Example usage in scientific writing: “This study proposes a novel treatment approach designed to ameliorate the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, offering potential for substantial improvements in patient quality of life.”
One of the sexier words on this list, but that won’t save it from its unnecessarily complexity relative to its meaning. It just means to “make better” or “improve”. This self-important beast is often used in the medical context when describing the effects of some proposed intervention (a new drug, device, or behavioral approach).
Sure, Ozempic ameliorates hunger, overeating, binge eating, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and depression. But it also makes these things better. When was the last time that you heard “ameliorate” in conversation?
3. “Furnish”
fur·nish
/ˈfərniSH/
provide (a house or room) with furniture and fittings.
supply someone with (something); give (something) to someone.
be a source of; provide.
Example usage in scientific writing: “The experiment furnishes conclusive evidence supporting the theory that reduced sleep quality can precipitate short-term memory deficits in young adults.”
This psychotic verb is often inserted into papers with mathematical derivations or analyses of data. The basic idea is that some clever manipulation of symbols, or some aspect of the experimental analysis, has provided a new insight.
Compared to the overt pretentiousness of terms like “buttress” and “ameliorate”, this is the covert narcissist of this list. It’s a word that you will hear used in everyday life: except that you are likely talking about the newest Yogibo or that rug that really ties your room together.
Scholar, please: I’m calling “pretentious” on your lemma.
2. “Reveal”
re·veal
/rəˈvēl/
make (previously unknown or secret information) known to others.
Example usage in scientific writing:“Spectral analysis of the sample revealed a composition not previously recorded in this region, indicating a potential new mineral discovery.“
The least obscure word on this list, but nonetheless, it carries a heightened sense of self-importance.
Your millennial child’s gender reveal party: that’s revealing. Lebron James in The Decision: certainly revealing. Whatever is currently being worn by Emily Ratajkowski or Gigi Hadad: most likely revealing.
But you’re not telling them what’s behind Door #2. You are delivering a finding that is summarized in the title, previewed in the abstract, and hinted at in the introduction. The fact that it is being revealed “for the first time!” does not entitle you to use verbs reserved for Harry Houdini or Bob Barker.
Our findings show. Our findings are. Our findings mean. Let’s save “reveal” for SuperBowl halftime shows.
1. “Elucidate”
e·lu·ci·date
/əˈlo͞osəˌdāt/
make (something) clear; explain.
Example usage in scientific writing: “Our research aims to elucidate the mechanisms behind the accelerated aging process observed in cells exposed to high levels of oxidative stress, contributing to the broader understanding of cellular senescence.”
The irony should not be lost on you: a word whose meaning denotes “clarity” actually has the opposite effect. There is no good reason to pass over the more straightforward options – “demonstrate”, “clarify” or “show” – with this pompous string. The word is so extra that it makes the #2 entry on this list seem unassuming.
Pretty and elegant you may be
But pretentious I do see.
Well put.