1
a
: an organically developed system of communication used by groups of humans: such as
(1)
: the words, their pronunciation, their written representation, and the methods of combining them as used and understood by a community
studied the French language
A language barrier existed between the two groups. [=the two groups did not understand each other because they spoke different languages]
(2)
: a system of communication with a vocabulary and a grammar that uses hand gestures and their placement relative to the upper body, facial expressions, body postures, and finger spelling : sign language
ASL is a natural language that is distinct from English.
… deaf individuals often have as their native language a natural human signed language, such as American Sign Language …—
Catherine A. Jackson
Catherine A. Jackson
b(1)
: audible, articulate, meaningful sound as produced by the action of the vocal organs
… meeting developmental landmarks like stacking blocks and mimicking language.—Tahlia Honea
Tahlia Honea
(2)
: a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meanings
the language of painting/dance
see also body language, love language
(3)
: the suggestion by objects, actions, or conditions of associated ideas or feelings
… language in their very gesture …—William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
(4)
: the means by which animals communicate
the language of whales
(5)
: a system of signs and symbols (as in C++ or a formal system of logic) including rules for the formation and transformation of admissible expressions
(6)
: the set of symbolic instruction codes usually in binary form that is used to represent operations and data in a machine (such as a computer) : machine language sense 1
2
a
: form or manner of verbal expression
specifically
: style
the beauty of Shakespeare's language
Watch your language to avoid inadvertent ageist references. —Sheila Callaham
Sheila Callaham
b
: the vocabulary and phraseology belonging to a specific art, subject, or a department of knowledge
the language of diplomacy
medical/legal language
c
: profanity
… shouldn't of blamed the fellers if they'd cut loose with some language …—Ring Lardner
Ring Lardner3
: specific words especially in a law or regulation
The police were diligent in enforcing the language of the law.
4
: the study of language especially as a school subject
earned a grade of B in language
Examples of language in a Sentence
How many languages do you speak?
French is her first language.
The book has been translated into several languages.
He's learning English as a second language.
a new word that has recently entered the language
the formal language of the report
the beauty of Shakespeare's language
She expressed her ideas using simple and clear language.
He is always careful in his use of language.
Recent Examples on the Web
Xi’s predecessor Jiang Zemin, who served as president between 1993 and 2003, was known for his flamboyant personality, cosmopolitan flair and willingness to show off his language skills and interact with journalists.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
There’s physical language, but not verbal.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Born in 1950 and raised in Chicago, Morgan became one of the most respected voices in the study of language, identity, and the power of popular culture to shape social discourse.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 3 Nov. 2025
For investors, apology language provides a real-time signal of leadership quality and future governance.
—Prachi Gala, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for language
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
There’s physical language, but not verbal.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Born in 1950 and raised in Chicago, Morgan became one of the most respected voices in the study of language, identity, and the power of popular culture to shape social discourse.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 3 Nov. 2025
For investors, apology language provides a real-time signal of leadership quality and future governance.
—Prachi Gala, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for language
Cite this Entry
“Language.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/language. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
language
noun
lan·guage
ˈlaŋ-gwij 
1
a
: the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a large group of people
b
: a means of communicating ideas
sign language
2
: the means by which animals communicate or are thought to communicate with each other
language of the bees
3
: a system of signs and symbols and rules for using them that is used to carry information
BASIC is a computer language
4
: the way in which words are used
strong language
5
: the words and expressions of a particular group or field
the language of medicine
6
: the study of language
Etymology
Middle English language "language," from early French language (same meaning), from langue "language, tongue," from Latin lingua "tongue, language"
Word Origin
The tongue plays an important part in human speech. Different sounds are made by different positions of the tongue. The tongue and speech are so closely connected that in many languages the word that means "tongue" also means "language." This is true in English, as when we say "she spoke a foreign tongue." It was also true in Latin, where the word lingua meant both "tongue" and "language." From the Latin lingua came the early French langue, meaning "tongue, language," which gave rise to the early French word language. The English word language comes directly from this early French word.
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