SINCE 1828
idiolect
noun
id·i·o·lect
| \ ˈi-dē-ə-ˌlekt
\
\
Definition of idiolect
: the language or speech pattern of one individual at a particular period of life
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Other Words from idiolect
idiolectal
\ ˌi-dē-ə-ˈlek-tᵊl
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of idiolect in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kathleen is relentlessly animated and quick-witted, with thick tangerine hair, steely eyes, and an endearing personal idiolect that suggests both an autodidactic reading in philosophy and economics and the gusty crudity of the merchant marine. — Gideon Lewis-kraus, WIRED, "The Blockchain: A Love Story—And a Horror Story," 18 June 2018 Sign up for the Backchannel newsletter Movies & TV Dialect coach Erik Singer takes a look at idiolects, better known as the specific way one individual speaks. — Jason Parham, WIRED, "Batman Is Only Kinda Good at Crime Scene Investigation," 21 June 2018 Sign up for our daily newsletter and never miss our latest and greatest stories Movies & TV Dialect coach Erik Singer takes a look at idiolects, better known as the specific way one individual speaks. — Angela Watercutter, WIRED, "Ocean's 8 Is Good, but It's Time for New Stories, Not Just Gender-Swaps," 8 June 2018 Netflix has been doing that plenty Movies & TV Dialect coach Erik Singer takes a look at idiolects, better known as the specific way one individual speaks. — Brian Barrett, WIRED, "MoviePass Revives Its Unlimited Plan," 2 May 2018 Movies & TV Dialect coach Erik Singer takes a look at idiolects, better known as the specific way one individual speaks. — Wired Staff, WIRED, "The Brand New HTC Vive Pro, and 8 Other Great Weekend Deals," 7 Apr. 2018 Not since Ghostface Killah or E-40 has a rapper invented such a cryptic and psychedelic idiolect. — Jeff Weiss, latimes.com, "L.A. rapper Drakeo the Ruler is a man in demand," 9 Mar. 2018 Jack Grieve, who also worked on the project, tells Rothman that over time each person develops a very subtle, unique way of writing called an idiolect, which is like a hidden fingerprint. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Was This Famous Lincoln Letter Written by His Secretary?," 21 July 2017 The keynote address, on the theme of idiolect — the distinctive speech patterns of particular characters — was delivered by John Mullan, Lord Northcliffe chair of modern English literature at University College London. — Sarah Lyall, New York Times, "Where Jane Austen Danced, Dined or Dallied," 3 Aug. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'idiolect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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