idiom

noun

id·i·om | \ ˈi-dē-əm

Definition of idiom

1 : an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either grammatically (such as no, it wasn't me) or in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (such as ride herd on for "supervise")

2a : the language peculiar to a people or to a district, community, or class : dialect

b : the syntactical, grammatical, or structural form peculiar to a language

3 : a style or form of artistic expression that is characteristic of an individual, a period or movement, or a medium or instrument the modern jazz idiom broadly : manner, style a new culinary idiom

Synonyms The Makeup of Idioms More Example Sentences Learn More about idiom

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The Makeup of Idioms

If you had never heard someone say "We're on the same page," would you have understood that they weren't talking about a book? And the first time someone said he'd "ride shotgun", did you wonder where the gun was? A modern English-speaker knows thousands of idioms, and uses many every day. Idioms can be completely ordinary ("first off", "the other day", "make a point of", "What's up?") or more colorful ("asleep at the wheel", "bite the bullet", "knuckle sandwich"). A particular type of idiom, called a phrasal verb, consists of a verb followed by an adverb or preposition (or sometimes both); in make over, make out, and make up, for instance, notice how the meanings have nothing to do with the usual meanings of over, out, and up.

Examples of idiom in a Sentence

She is a populist in politics, as she repeatedly makes clear for no very clear reason. Yet the idiom of the populace is not popular with her. — P. J. O'Rourke, New York Times Book Review, 9 Oct. 2005 And the prospect of recovering a nearly lost language, the idiom and scrappy slang of the postwar period … — Don DeLillo, New York Times Magazine, 7 Sept. 1997 We need to explicate the ways in which specific themes, fears, forms of consciousness, and class relationships are embedded in the use of Africanist idiom … — Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark, 1992 The expression “give way,” meaning “retreat,” is an idiom. rock and roll and other musical idioms a feature of modern jazz idiom

Recent Examples on the Web

Mencken set out to describe and account for the differences, obvious and subtle, between English and American vocabulary, pronunciation, syntax, intonation, idiom, grammar, slang, euphemism and much more. — Joseph Epstein, WSJ, "We All Speak American," 10 Aug. 2018 Every character has a strikingly different movement idiom. — Alastair Macaulay, New York Times, "In ‘Firebird,’ the Choreographer’s Art Is in Storytelling," 15 May 2018 Richardson uses words impishly, rhyming, punning and twisting idioms at a prodigious rate. — Giles Harvey, New York Times, "Letter of Recommendation: ‘The Totally Football Show With James Richardson’," 3 July 2018 For family nights, his parents would choose a movie in English rather than Spanish to watch together, so the whole family could become familiar with the idiom and cadence of the language in their new country. — Jake Goodrick, azcentral, "For this Phoenix immigrant a choice of school offers path to college," 26 June 2018 Indeed, Nagano’s grasp of the Bernstein idiom is as complete as his orchestral command is firm. — John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, "CSO under Kent Nagano delivers a snazzy slice of vintage Bernstein," 30 Mar. 2018 For Pedrood the whole nuclear deal reminds him of an old Persian idiom. — Time, "'The Americans Cannot Be Trusted.' How Iran Is Reacting to Trump's Decision to Quit Nuclear Deal," 9 May 2018 These improvisatory additions never felt intrusive or showy, but were well within the Gershwin idiom. — Tim Smith, baltimoresun.com, "BSO shines in colorful program with Alsop, Gerstein," 2 June 2018 The program is perhaps most notable for the rare performance of the music of Othmar Schoeck, a Swiss composer working in the latest of late Romantic idioms. — David Allen, New York Times, "4 Classical Music Concerts to See in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 21 June 2018

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

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Learn More about idiom

Dictionary Entries near idiom

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Last Updated

14 Dec 2018

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Time Traveler for idiom

The first known use of idiom was in 1588

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More Definitions for idiom

idiom

noun

English Language Learners Definition of idiom

: an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a separate meaning of its own

: a form of a language that is spoken in a particular area and that uses some of its own words, grammar, and pronunciations

: a style or form of expression that is characteristic of a particular person, type of art, etc.

See the full definition for idiom in the English Language Learners Dictionary

idiom

noun

id·i·om | \ ˈi-dē-əm

Kids Definition of idiom

: an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but must be learned as a whole The expression “give up,” meaning “surrender,” is an idiom.