The language of language services.
Plain-English definitions of the translation, localization, and language-technology terms enterprise buyers research before choosing a partner — from MTPE and ISO 17100 to transcreation and weighted word counts.
An A–Z reference for the terminology used across the language-services industry. Each entry is a short, vendor-neutral definition.
Localization (L10n)
Adapting content, software, or media so it feels native to a specific market — spanning language, formatting (dates, currency, numbers), cultural references, and layout, including right-to-left presentation for Arabic.
Internationalization (i18n)
Designing a product or codebase so it can be adapted to multiple languages and regions without re-engineering — the technical groundwork that makes efficient localization possible.
Translation Memory (TM)
A database of previously translated segments that is reused across projects to improve consistency, speed, and cost on repetitive content.
Translation Management System (TMS)
Software that centralizes and automates translation workflows — file handling, assignments, memory and terminology integration, and delivery — for teams managing content at scale.
Machine Translation (MT)
Automated translation of text by software without human intervention; modern systems are built on neural networks trained on large bilingual datasets.
Neural Machine Translation (NMT)
An MT approach that uses deep neural networks to produce more fluent, context-aware output than older rule-based or statistical methods.
Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE)
A workflow in which a professional linguist reviews and corrects machine-translated output. Light post-editing fixes only critical errors; full post-editing brings quality close to human translation. Governed by ISO 18587.
CAT Tool
Computer-Assisted Translation software that supports human translators with translation memory, terminology, and quality checks — distinct from fully automated machine translation.
Transcreation
Creative adaptation of marketing or brand content so it evokes the same intent and emotion in the target culture, prioritizing impact over literal accuracy.
Source & Target Language
The source language is the original language of the content; the target language is the language into which it is translated.
Locale
A specific combination of language and region (for example, ar-SA for Arabic in Saudi Arabia) that determines spelling, formatting, and cultural conventions.
Glossary / Termbase
An approved list of key terms and their translations, used to keep terminology consistent across a brand or project.
Style Guide
A reference document that defines tone, voice, formatting, and linguistic preferences for a brand or project.
Quality Assurance (QA) / Linguistic QA (LQA)
Structured review steps that check translations for accuracy, terminology, formatting, and cultural appropriateness before delivery.
ISO 17100
The international standard for translation services, specifying requirements for translator competence, processes, and resources.
ISO 18587
The international standard governing the full human post-editing of machine translation output.
ISO 27001
The international standard for information security management systems, relevant to handling confidential client content securely.
Desktop Publishing (DTP)
Recreating the layout and formatting of translated documents — especially where text expands or contracts or reads right-to-left — so the final files match the original design.
Subtitling
Producing time-coded on-screen text of spoken dialogue, following the readability and timing conventions of each language.
Dubbing
Replacing the original spoken audio of video content with a translated voice recording synchronized to the visuals.
Voice-over
A translated narration recorded over the original audio, commonly used for documentaries, e-learning, and corporate video.
Interpretation
Real-time oral translation of speech. Simultaneous interpretation happens live as the speaker talks; consecutive interpretation happens in pauses between segments.
Back-translation
Translating content back into the source language by an independent linguist to verify accuracy — often required in medical and legal work.
Fuzzy Match
A translation-memory segment that partially — but not exactly — matches new source text; the match percentage indicates how much editing is needed.
Weighted Word Count
A pricing method that discounts repeated or memory-matched words, so clients pay less for content that has already been translated.
Turnaround Time (TAT)
The time required to complete and deliver a translation project, often expressed per thousand words or per language pair.
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