American Sign Language

noun

: a sign language that is used especially for communication by and with deaf people and is the formal sign language of the U.S. and English-speaking Canada and also serves as the basis for various sign languages in other countries (such as Thailand, Nigeria, and Bolivia)

—abbreviation ASL

Note: American Sign Language was developed in Hartford, Connecticut in the early 1800s.

Examples of American Sign Language in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Joshua later posted a video to Facebook explaining what happened to his daughter while using American Sign Language. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026

Hottle’s father went on Facebook live on July 21 to explain the circumstances of his daughter’s death using American Sign Language. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026

Joshua Hottle shared the news of his daughter’s death through American Sign Language (ASL) on a 23-minute-long Facebook livestream. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Her father confirmed her death in American Sign Language in a Tuesday Facebook video. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for American Sign Language

• interlanguage
• metalanguage

Kids Definition

American Sign Language

noun

: a sign language for the deaf