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How do I best insert a synonym for a technical adjective?

For example, in the title of the question,

How to provide technical as well as colloquial, or non-technical, adjective

I gave the explanation of "colloquial" by inserting "or non-technical" with commas. Are there better alternatives? I feel like the most clear way would be

How to provide technical as well as colloquial, that is, non-technical, adjective

but I don't like the three commas. Finally, I can think of just doing

How to provide technical as well as colloquial, non-technical adjective

Bananach
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1 Answers1

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One possibility is to use actual parentheses rather than a pair of commas:

How to provide technical as well as colloquial (non-technical) adjectives.

It's commonly understood that if you put a single thing in parentheses right after something else that you are providing an alternate or clarifying word or phrase for what came immediately before.

While there's nothing wrong with leaving the or in place, I chose to remove it.

Note that I used adjectives (plural) so that the sentence makes sense as a heading. As a question, it should end with a question mark.

Jason Bassford
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