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Vague Modifiers

n.

Pronunciation

/veɪg ˈmɑdəˌfaɪərz/

Acronym

Definition

A type of adjective that is commonly used to describe products but which are purely comparative and lack specificity such as "Heavy Duty" or "Economy."

Often, these modifiers are used by consumers to help shop, but they do not have the substance of either describing what the product is or what it does. Using them as category labels can lead to confusion, misclassification, and multiple homes. Using them in Schema can lead to arbitrary decisions on what it means to be "heavy duty" which are difficult to apply across items, leading to poor data quality. Best practice is to avoid building these vague concepts into the hierarchy as much as possible.

Category

Methodology, Technology

Related Terms

Schema, Category Labeling, Hierarchy

Product Information Encyclopedia

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