General Language

Meaningbegin execution of an operation or process

Avoid for the same meaningbegincommence

Note: Do not replace initialize or launch when those words represent distinct technical operations (initialization establishes state; launch creates or starts an application or process).

Meaningemploy a resource, tool, or mechanism for a purpose

Avoid for the same meaningutilize

Note: Utilize adds no meaning over use in ordinary technical prose. Keep utilize only when emphasizing an unexpected or non-obvious application.

Meaningan amount or value that is not exact

Avoid for the same meaningroughly

Note: Prefer approximately in normative or measured contexts. Roughly is acceptable in informal notes. If an exact figure exists, state it instead.

Meaningcarry out an action or operation

Avoid for the same meaningdo

Note: Do is acceptable in runbooks and casual text; prefer perform when the action is a named operation with defined steps.

Meaningmake certain that a condition holds

Avoid for the same meaningmake sure

Note: Prefer ensure in normative and technical text. Make sure is acceptable in user guidance. Where a mechanism guarantees the condition, prefer guarantee.

Meaningmake an item or capability available to someone or something

Avoid for the same meaningsupply

Note: Provide is the general term. Supply implies a sustained or contractual delivery and should be kept where that distinction matters (for example energy supply).

Meaningbring an operation or process to a close

Avoid for the same meaningterminate

Note: End is the general term. Terminate has a stronger, often abrupt connotation and is normative in domains such as OCPP session handling; keep it where abrupt or programmatic ending is intended. Finish is acceptable for user-facing prose.

Meaningmake a value, configuration, or behavior different

Avoid for the same meaningmodify

Note: Change and modify are interchangeable in most contexts; prefer change as the shorter canonical form. Keep modify where a change is deliberate and scoped, for example modifying a configuration parameter.

Meaningcome into possession of an item or value

Avoid for the same meaningget

Note: Prefer obtain in technical and formal text. Get is acceptable in runbooks and casual guidance. Do not use fetch or retrieve as stylistic substitutes when those words denote specific operations (for example network retrieval).

Meaningchoose one item from a set of alternatives

Avoid for the same meaningchoose

Note: Prefer select in UI and API contexts where an option is picked from a defined set. Choose is acceptable in user guidance when the set is open-ended.

Meaningan item added to what already exists

Avoid for the same meaningextra

Note: Prefer additional in technical text. Extra is acceptable in informal guidance.

Meaningpresent information visibly or in an interface

Avoid for the same meaningdisplay

Note: Show and display are interchangeable in most UI prose; prefer show as the shorter canonical form. Keep display where a dedicated display component or device is meant.

Meaninghappen at a time or in a process

Avoid for the same meaninghappen

Note: Prefer occur in technical and formal text. Happen is acceptable in casual prose.

Meaningtake an item away from a set, list, or system

Note: Do not treat remove and delete as interchangeable. Delete implies permanent erasure; remove can mean detaching or taking out of a list. Keep the distinction where permanence matters. Delete is therefore not listed as an avoided synonym.

Meaningbring an item into existence

Avoid for the same meaninggenerate

Note: Create is the general term. Keep generate where output is produced from inputs or algorithms, for example generate a report or generate a key.

Meaninghelp a person or process achieve a result

Avoid for the same meaningassist

Note: Help and assist are interchangeable; prefer help as the shorter form. Assist is acceptable where a formal support process is meant.

Meaningask for an action, item, or decision

Avoid for the same meaningask

Note: Prefer request in API and procedural text where a formal exchange is described. Ask is acceptable in user-facing guidance.

Meaningexpress a fact, condition, or intention clearly

Avoid for the same meaningindicate

Note: State is the general term for expressing facts. Keep indicate where a signal or display points to a value without asserting it directly.

Meaningkeep away from a value, condition, or behavior

Note: Avoid and prevent are not synonyms. Avoid means steering clear; prevent means stopping something from happening. Keep the distinction; prevent is therefore not listed as an avoided synonym.

Meaningcause an action or process to cease

Avoid for the same meaninghalt

Note: Stop is the general term. Halt implies an abrupt or operator-initiated stop; keep it where that connotation is intended. See also end-process for finish/terminate.

Meaningfinish a process so that it is fully done

Avoid for the same meaningfinalize

Note: Complete describes reaching the end state. Finalize implies a decision or approval step that locks the result; keep the distinction where that step exists.

Meaningexamine two or more items to identify similarities or differences

Note: Compare and contrast are not synonyms. Compare examines similarities and differences; contrast emphasizes differences only. Keep the distinction; contrast is therefore not listed as an avoided synonym.