Language & Terminology ยท Core concept
Terminology Management
Terminology management decides what key terms mean in every language before translation starts, stores those decisions in a termbase, and enforces them during translation and QA, so the product says the same thing the same way everywhere.
Also known as: terminology, terminology management, termbase, term base
One row of a termbase: the decision, not just the word
| Source term | Approved | Forbidden | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| checkout | checkout | caja, kasse | Commerce flow; kept as the brand term |
| workspace | espacio de trabajo | area de trabajo | Product UI; matches the design system vocabulary |
What a termbase actually stores
More than equivalent words: the approved term, the forbidden ones, part of speech, definition, context sentence, and status (draft, approved, deprecated). A termbase entry is a recorded decision with an owner. A glossary list is just a list.
Why it matters before translation
Terminology decided after translation becomes rework. The cheapest moment to fix a term is before any translator sees it; the most expensive is after it ships and a brand term exists in five variants across five markets.
Enforcement, not just storage
Good systems surface terms inside the CAT tool while translating and flag violations in QA. A termbase nobody reads is decoration; enforcement is what makes terminology real.