parlance

noun

par·​lance ˈpär-lən(t)s 

1

: speech

especially : formal debate or parley

… battle and not parlance should determine his right and title.

—John Speed

2

: manner or mode of speech : idiom

The company's computer system had, in computer parlance, "crashed."

Examples of parlance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The recommendations were outlined in a health alert network advisory, or HAN in CDC parlance. —Helen Branswell, STAT, 5 Apr. 2024

California’s parlance excludes non-plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) from the ZEV category, and the inequitable use of language mirrors an arbitrary bias against HEVs that permeates electric vehicle advocacy groups. —Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024

In technical parlance, these labels are often called model cards. —Alex Knapp, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024

The channel has more than 9 million subscribers, and segments from the show posted there almost always have view counts (which in YouTube parlance means someone watched at least 30 seconds of a video) in the millions. —Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2024

Succession and quiet luxury became part of the national parlance. —Adrienne So, WIRED, 30 Jan. 2024

The Yakama Nation considers all of Badger Mountain to be a traditional cultural property — government parlance for a place the tribes have identified as significant and eligible for federal protections. —B. “toastie” Oaster, ProPublica, 19 Jan. 2024

Asher, to use red-pill parlance, is a classic cuck. —Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2024

This level of certification is known as Category 3 in NASA parlance, requiring a minimum of three successful flights of a common launch vehicle configuration in addition to deep insight by NASA engineers into a rocket's design and a launch contractor's quality control processes. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 9 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English parlaunce, borrowed from Anglo-French parlance, parlaunce "speech, gossip, debate," from parler "to speak, talk" + -aunce, -ance -ance — more at parley entry 2

Note: Parlance is much more amply attested in Anglo-French than in continental Old and Middle French, especially after ca. 1300. The Dictionnaire du moyen français has only marginal evidence for the word after 1350.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing parlance

• in common parlance

Kids Definition

parlance

noun

par·​lance ˈpär-lən(t)s 

: manner of speech