Do you know anybody who writes in Johnsonese, using a lot of big words and long sentences with complicated structure? A person who would always prefer to use puerile rather than the good old English word childish?
Johnsonese is named after Samuel Johnson, the 18th-century English author of the first truly comprehensive, modern English dictionary. While he was famously witty and well-educated, his prose often favored obscure words derived from Latin or Greek, even when everyday English words would’ve been punchier and more easily understood. Today, the term describes an overly formal, "pompous" style of writing that prioritizes complexity over clarity. In most modern contexts, Johnsonese is a style to be avoided!