dialogue

noun di·a·logue \ ˈdī-ə-ˌlȯg , -ˌläg \

variants: or less commonly dialog

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Editor's Note: Dialectic: Logic through Conversation

Definition of dialogue

1 : a written composition in which two or more characters are represented as conversing

2 a : a conversation between two or more persons; also : a similar exchange between a person and something else (such as a computer)

b : an exchange of ideas and opinions

organized a series of dialogues on human rights

c : a discussion between representatives of parties to a conflict that is aimed at resolution

a constructive dialogue between loggers and environmentalists

3 : the conversational element of literary or dramatic composition

very little dialogue in this film

writes realistic dialogue

4 : a musical composition for two or more parts suggestive of a conversation

See dialogue defined for English-language learners

See dialogue defined for kids

Examples of dialogue in a Sentence

He is an expert at writing dialogue.
There's very little dialogue in the film.
The best part of the book is the clever dialogue.
Students were asked to read dialogues from the play.
The two sides involved in the labor dispute are trying to establish a dialogue.
The two parties have been in constant dialogue with each other.

Recent Examples of dialogue from the Web

That could range from having to make a supremely ridiculous wig look credible, to carrying moments relying entirely on eye contact, with little to no dialogue.

— refinery29.com, "This Is Keri Russell's Time To Shine — Welcome To The Russell-ution, Comrades," 13 July 2018
According to a report from Turkish outlet Fotomac, Fenerbahce sporting director Damien Comolli has opened dialogue with Liverpool regarding a potential move for the 27-year-old.

— SI.com, "Former Liverpool Director Damien Comolli Looking to Bring Reds Star to Turkish Club," 7 July 2018
Wes Cook Band is very pleased to have entered into a productive dialogue with the Facebook policy and music teams regarding our video, and our personal concerns regarding the national interest of political neutrality in social media.

— james rogers, Fox News, "Facebook, Wes Cook Band, work to resolve patriotic song 'censorship' row," 6 July 2018
There were discussions of segregation and dialogues with the black students that left people in tears.

— anne m. hamilton, courant.com, "Extraordinary Life: A Passion For Women's Rights, Social Justice," 1 July 2018
In recent weeks, the president also has stoked a contentious trade dialogue with U.S. allies at the Group of Seven summit in Quebec and pushed ahead with plans to impose steep tariffs on Chinese goods.

— author: ken thomas, catherine lucey, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump enjoying a hot streak, a break from immigration news," 30 June 2018
Gacioch said the parking garage will create 400 new parking spaces and is the result of a two-year dialogue with the public.

— bryce airgood, Detroit Free Press, "Feeding the meter costs 3x more in Royal Oak than Ferndale," 21 June 2018
Just like our mortal conversations, dialogue with the dead can range from profound to petty.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "A Beginner’s Guide to Communicating With Spirits on the Other Side," 19 June 2018
Kontz and others tried to use the show's popularity to open a dialogue with parents about how to speak with their kids about suicide.

— jerod macdonald-evoy, azcentral, "Every teen suicide is a tragedy, here's what Arizona is doing to prevent more," 8 June 2018

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

Dialectic: Logic through Conversation

Dialectic is a term used in philosophy, and the fact that it is closely connected to the ideas of Socrates and Plato is completely logical—even from an etymological point of view. Plato’s famous dialogues frequently presented Socrates playing a leading role, and dialogue comes from the Greek roots dia- (“through” or “across”) and -logue (“discourse” or “talk”). Dialect and dialectic come from dialecktos (“conversation” or “dialect”) and ultimately back to the Greek word dialegesthai, meaning “to converse.”

Conversation or dialogue was indeed at the heart of the “Socratic method,” through which Socrates would ask probing questions which cumulatively revealed his students’ unsupported assumptions and misconceptions. The goal, according to the definition in our Unabridged Dictionary, was to “elicit a clear and consistent expression of something supposed to be implicitly known by all rational beings.”

Other philosophers had specific uses of the term dialectic, including Aristotelianism, Stoicism, Kantianism, Hegelianism, and Marxism. Asking a series of questions was considered by Socrates a method of “giving birth” to the truth, and a related word, maieutic, defined as “relating to or resembling the Socratic method of eliciting new ideas from another,” comes from the Greek word meaning “of midwifery.”

Origin and Etymology of dialogue

Middle English dialoge, from Anglo-French dialogue, from Latin dialogus, from Greek dialogos, from dialegesthai to converse, from dia- + legein to speak — more at legend

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

dialogue Synonyms

Synonyms

argument, argumentation, back-and-forth, colloquy, confab, confabulation, conference, consult, consultation, council, counsel, debate, deliberation, discussion, give-and-take, palaver, parley, talk;

chat, conversation, rap, words;

discourse, disquisition;

bargaining, consultancy, negotiation, pourparler;

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

dialogue

verb

Definition of dialogue

dialogued; dialoguing

transitive verb

: to express in dialogue

… and dialogued for him what he would say …
—Shakespeare

intransitive verb

: to take part in a dialogue

managers dialoguing with employees

Recent Examples of dialogue from the Web

But one of the leaders insists that the movement is not opposed to dialogue in principle.

— The Economist, "The violent end of Daniel Ortega’s decade of quiet," 26 Apr. 2018
Despite their criticisms, both Tillerson and defense officials have stressed the importance of finding a path to dialogue with Moscow.

— karen deyoung, Washington Post, "Putin speech adds to freeze in U.S.-Russia relations," 1 Mar. 2018
Swiss Education While South Korea currently bans tourists from traveling north, the thaw over the Olympics brings the countries closer to dialogue on restoring lucrative cross-border tours that once brought Kim’s regime millions of dollars a year.

— Bloomberg.com, "Kim Jong Un’s Luxury Ski Resort Steals Olympic Spotlight," 30 Jan. 2018
Maybe the past and present aren’t mutually exclusive, this exhibition suggests, but can dialogue with and inform one another.

— OregonLive.com, "Tom Cramer exhibit shows there's plenty new under the sun (review)," 29 Oct. 2017
Knowles sisters Beyoncé and Solange have released solo albums that dialogue with each other obliquely.

— carl wilson, Slate Magazine, "On Haim’s New Album Something to Tell You, the Band of Sisters Is Better Than Ever," 10 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of dialogue

see ¹dialogue

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1566

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

DIALOGUE Defined for English Language Learners

dialogue

noun

Definition of dialogue for English Language Learners

: the things that are said by the characters in a story, movie, play, etc.
: a discussion or series of discussions that two groups or countries have in order to end a disagreement
: a conversation between two or more people