idiolect

noun

id·​i·​o·​lect ˈi-dē-ə-ˌlekt How to pronounce idiolect (audio)
: the language or speech pattern of one individual at a particular period of life
idiolectal adjective

Examples of idiolect in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Attackers can mimic the distinct idiolect of the target. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 18 Nov. 2023 That’s where idiolect comes into play. Erica Sweeney, Men's Health, 8 Feb. 2023 Butler appears to have picked up Elvis’s idiolect, Howell says. Erica Sweeney, Men's Health, 8 Feb. 2023 Sherif’s music exists in the space between autobiographical and his own idiolect. Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2022 And then there’s his inborn ear for every shade of human babble, here a transcendent four-hander, there a screwball travelogue, everywhere argot and idiolect and argument. New York Times, 23 Apr. 2020 His writing conveys an extraordinary ear for accent, rhythm, and idiolect. Maya Jasanoff, The New Republic, 22 Aug. 2019 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, 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, 21 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'idiolect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

idio- + -lect (as in dialect)

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of idiolect was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near idiolect

Cite this Entry

“Idiolect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idiolect. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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