dialect

noun

di·​a·​lect ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt How to pronounce dialect (audio)
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 advertisingPhilip Howard
d
: a variety of language whose identity is fixed by a factor other than geography (such as social class)
spoke a rough peasant dialect
f
: a version of a computer programming language
2
: manner or means of expressing oneself : phraseology
dialectal adjective
dialectally adverb

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
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.
Applications are now open to educators worldwide currently teaching kindergarten through high school in a public, private or charter school, who speak Spanish, Portuguese, English or any native dialect. Griselda Flores, Billboard, 28 June 2025 With Scottish writer George Blake’s novel, The Shipbuilders, language and dialect were tamed thanks to Sylvia’s views. Nicola Wilson june 26, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025 Each population — in this case, southern resident orcas — has a distinct dialect for communication, specific foraging strategies and now a unique type of tool use. Marlowe Starling, CNN Money, 23 June 2025 Sun Anke, from Northeast China, found Tianjin dialect particularly difficult. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for dialect

Word History

Etymology

Middle French dialecte, from Latin dialectus, from Greek dialektos conversation, dialect, from dialegesthai to converse — more at dialogue

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dialect was in 1566

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dialect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

dialect

noun
di·​a·​lect ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt How to pronounce dialect (audio)
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
dialectal adjective
dialectally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on dialect

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!