dialect

noun, often attributive

di·a·lect | \ ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt

Definition of dialect

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

d : a variety of language whose identity is fixed by a factor other than geography (such as social class) spoke a rough peasant dialect

e : register sense 4c

f : a version of a computer programming language

2 : manner or means of expressing oneself : phraseology

Other Words from dialect Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about dialect

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Other Words from dialect

dialectal \ ˌdī-ə-ˈlek-tᵊl

\ adjective

dialectally \ ˌdī-ə-ˈlek-tə-lē

\ 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 Historically, black on-air talent are told their dialect and speaking voices do not fit the public radio prototype. — Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, "Public radio backs ending ‘objectivity,’ admitting racism, paying ‘reparations’," 19 Jan. 2021 Visit now and the trails attract a diverse population that ranges from birdwatchers to long-distance bicyclists, and families who speak Spanish or a Chinese dialect rather than English. — John King, SFChronicle.com, "After 45 years saving and restoring regional land, the East Bay’s top park official is stepping down," 25 Dec. 2020 Six separate dialect coaches worked with actors to ensure accuracy. — Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, "‘No Man’s Land’ makes the Syrian civil war a global conflict. Right down to the subtitles," 18 Nov. 2020 The team brought dialect consultants to identify idioms that people, especially Puerto Ricans, use in East Harlem, and make sure actors' pronunciation was accurate. — Nicole Chavez, CNN, "How Miles Morales in his own Spider-Man video game confronts racial disparity in gaming," 14 Nov. 2020 The dialect coach for the Lord of the Rings movies, who also played Major Caluan Ematt in recent Star Wars films The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens, died March 31 due to the coronavirus, his rep told TMZ. — Vulture Editors, Vulture, "All the Celebrities Who Have Tested Positive for the Coronavirus," 9 Jan. 2021 Its authors speak more in the vapid America-can-do-no-wrong dialect of a CNN panel. — Jacob Silverman, The New Republic, "The New Language of Forever War-Making," 17 Dec. 2020 The articles are written in an invented dialect that mimics English with a stereotypical Scottish accent. — Amaryllisgardener, Harper's Magazine, "Scotched Efforts," 24 Nov. 2020 But when the dialect coach his agent hires turns out to be none other than his mind-blowing one-night stand, things get complicated. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "Hot Stuff: November romances bring mischief, star-crossed lovers, and hot dukes," 4 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dialect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.