common business oriented language: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareTechnical/Historical
Quick answer
What does “common business oriented language” mean?
A proper name for COBOL, a high-level programming language designed primarily for business, finance, and administrative systems.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A proper name for COBOL, a high-level programming language designed primarily for business, finance, and administrative systems.
COBOL, an acronym for Common Business-Oriented Language, is a compiled English-like computer language from 1959 that uses a verb-oriented syntax to process large-scale batch and transaction-oriented tasks on mainframes.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant usage differences. The term is identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Connotes legacy systems, mainframe computing, banking, government administration, and historical computer science. Can imply 'outdated' or 'robust but old'.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general discourse. Slightly higher frequency in specific IT, legacy system maintenance, and computer history contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “common business oriented language” in a Sentence
[The/Our] Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL) system [verb: e.g., processes, runs, remains].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “common business oriented language” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The Common Business Oriented Language programmer updated the legacy code.
- It was a Common Business Oriented Language system.
American English
- The Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL) programmer updated the legacy code.
- It was a Common Business Oriented Language system.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in IT departments to refer to core legacy systems, especially in banking or insurance.
Academic
Used in computer science history courses or papers discussing the evolution of programming paradigms.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
The primary context. Refers to the specific language, its syntax, compilers, and runtime environments.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “common business oriented language”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “common business oriented language”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “common business oriented language”
- Writing it in lower case ('common business oriented language') when referring to the proper noun.
- Using 'Common Business-Oriented Language' without the definite article 'the' when it starts a sentence.
- Confusing it with general 'business English'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, extensively. A significant portion of the world's business transactions, especially in finance, government, and insurance, are processed by COBOL systems running on mainframes.
It was designed by a consortium (making it 'common') specifically for developing business, as opposed to scientific or mathematical, applications ('business oriented').
Its key historical advantages were its English-like syntax for readability, superb decimal arithmetic for financial calculations, and powerful file-handling capabilities for large-scale batch processing.
Its syntax is relatively straightforward and verbose, making initial learning easier than some modern languages. However, mastering the intricacies of legacy mainframe environments and large-scale COBOL systems is challenging.
A proper name for COBOL, a high-level programming language designed primarily for business, finance, and administrative systems.
Common business oriented language is usually technical/historical in register.
Common business oriented language: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒmən ˈbɪznəs ɔːrientɪd ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːmən ˈbɪznəs ɔːrientəd ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
COBOL: Common Business Oriented Language. Think of a common business suit (the language) tailored for office work (data processing).
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS A TOOL FOR BUSINESS: The language is conceptualized as an instrument engineered specifically for commercial data-handling tasks.
Practice
Quiz
In which sector is Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL) most famously still in use?