colloquialism
noun
col·lo·qui·al·ism
kə-ˈlō-kwē-ə-ˌli-zəm 
1
a
: a colloquial expression
"Chicken out" is a colloquialism for "to lose one's nerve."
b
: a local or regional dialect expression
"Bodacious" originated as a Southern colloquialism.
2
: colloquial style
the appeal of the author's colloquialism
Examples of colloquialism in a Sentence
His English is very good, but he has trouble understanding certain colloquialisms.
Recent Examples on the Web
Her vetting crusades have brought about a new Washington colloquialism.
—
Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
The show chugged along nonetheless, gradually attracting fans who adored its stark cinematography and weirdo colloquialisms.
—Claire McNear, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
Gestures, colloquialisms, facial expressions, local cuisine, and the like are not incidental to a tongue but constitute it; sometimes, to capture a word or phrase, in writing or in an algorithm, is to stamp out its meaning.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
What started out as an advertising slogan for Apple more than 15 years ago has morphed into somewhat of a modern day colloquialism: There should be an app for that.
—Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
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Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
The show chugged along nonetheless, gradually attracting fans who adored its stark cinematography and weirdo colloquialisms.
—Claire McNear, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
Gestures, colloquialisms, facial expressions, local cuisine, and the like are not incidental to a tongue but constitute it; sometimes, to capture a word or phrase, in writing or in an algorithm, is to stamp out its meaning.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
What started out as an advertising slogan for Apple more than 15 years ago has morphed into somewhat of a modern day colloquialism: There should be an app for that.
—Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colloquialism. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
colloquialism
noun
col·lo·qui·al·ism
kə-ˈlō-kwē-ə-ˌliz-əm
1
: a colloquial expression
2
: colloquial style
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