: Re: What is the benefit of using formal terms instead of informal ones? I understand that sometimes formal terms are superior to informal terms because they're sometimes more specific or succinct,

@Welton431

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A low-class answer:

It is good to write clearly and to-the-point. It is smart to use words that people understand. Most people talk "informally". Most common words can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings. Almost all of these words are "vulgar", and some are rude.

Most people who grew up speaking English know exactly what these words mean. If you say something in plain English, they can imagine it in their heads. This makes it easy to catch liars and scammers.

Some people talk in "street slang." (For example, in "ebonics".) They'll get yer point better if you talk like dem. But I ain't good with that jive, so I might screw it up. So I will stick to words I do understand.

A formal response:

Succinctness has great value. When discussing science, legal matters, or other technical topics, it is convenient to use specific words with precise denotations and appropriate connotations. Educated people, lawyers, bureaucrats, and scientists speak "formally" -- especially when they are creating regulations or discussing technical topics. Many formal terms are derived from Norman French. Most technical terms were invented by the intelligentsia using Latin and Greek roots. Latin and Greek vocabulary is the opposite of vulgar. Formal vocabulary allows even intimate topics to be discussed dispassionately.

Many "formal" terms are designed for discussing abstractions. Furthermore, authors and lawmakers can precisely define what "formal" words mean. This enables discussing things on an abstract level -- people are less likely to fixate on ordinary meanings of words. Using formal terms lets people speak more subtly.

Injecting mundane terms into "formal" discussions can be distracting. Rude words make educated terminology seem like "gobbledygook".

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