dialect
noun
di·a·lect
ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt 
often attributive
1
linguistics
a
: a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from other regional varieties and constituting together with them a single language
the Doric dialect of ancient Greek
a dialect of Chinese spoken in Hong Kong
b
: one of two or more cognate (see cognate entry 1 sense 3a) languages
French and Italian are Romance dialects.
c
: a variety of a language used by the members of a group
… such dialects as politics and advertising …—
Philip Howard
Philip Howard
d
: a variety of language whose identity is fixed by a factor other than geography (such as social class)
spoke a peasant dialect
f
: a version of a computer programming language
2
: manner or means of expressing oneself : phraseology
Examples of dialect in a Sentence
They speak a southern dialect of French.
The author uses dialect in his writing.
The play was hard to understand when the characters spoke in dialect.
Recent Examples on the Web
The small cadre of community radio stations in coastal Bangladesh, using local dialects, provide an early-warning system against tsunamis, flooding, and cyclones.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Much of this influence played a role in what would become the dialect of the South more generally as Scots Irish settlers and their descendants spread into the backcountry of the Upper and, a bit later, the Lowland South.
—Valerie Fridland, Big Think, 21 Apr. 2026
The language of the book is Italian—the dialogue is often in Roman dialect, the names, places, and characters are all Italian but the wider ideas are coming in English.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Seedo means grandfather or, more endearingly, grandpa, in the Palestinian Arabic dialect.
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dialect
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Much of this influence played a role in what would become the dialect of the South more generally as Scots Irish settlers and their descendants spread into the backcountry of the Upper and, a bit later, the Lowland South.
—Valerie Fridland, Big Think, 21 Apr. 2026
The language of the book is Italian—the dialogue is often in Roman dialect, the names, places, and characters are all Italian but the wider ideas are coming in English.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Seedo means grandfather or, more endearingly, grandpa, in the Palestinian Arabic dialect.
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dialect
Cite this Entry
“Dialect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dialect
noun
di·a·lect
ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt
1
: a regional variety of a language differing from the standard language
2
: a variety of a language used by the members of a particular group or class
peasant dialect
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