# language lawyer

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A pedant, someone overly focused on semantics.
2. An expert of a programming language who is extremely well-versed in its specification.

## Etymology
Compound of language + lawyer.
Defined in the Jargon File. The definition is often cited verbatim as:
A language lawyer is distinguished by the ability to show you the five sentences scattered through a 200-plus-page manual that together imply the answer to your question “if only you had thought to look there”.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/language-lawyer