Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

idiom

noun
id·​i·​om | \ ˈi-dē-əm How to pronounce idiom (audio) \

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

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for idiom

Synonyms

expression, phrase

Visit the Thesaurus for More 

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
See More

Recent Examples on the Web

 The Quilted Giraffe translated the newest ideas from across the Atlantic into an American idiom at a time when even French chefs in New York hadn't quite caught up with nouvelle cuisine. — Jay Cheshes, Town & Country, "Caviar and Cocaine," 6 Feb. 2013 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

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.

See More

First Known Use of idiom

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

History and Etymology for idiom

Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French idiome, from Late Latin idioma individual peculiarity of language, from Greek idiōmat-, idiōma, from idiousthai to appropriate, from idios

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about idiom

Statistics for idiom

Last Updated

23 Mar 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for idiom

The first known use of idiom was in 1588

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for idiom

idiom

noun
How to pronounce idiom (audio)

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 How to pronounce idiom (audio) \

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.

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on idiom

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for idiom

Spanish Central: Translation of idiom

Nglish: Translation of idiom for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of idiom for Arabic Speakers

Comments on idiom

What made you want to look up idiom? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

bower

Listen to the pronounciation of bower

a shady place in a garden or forest

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Original Meanings Quiz

  • rembrandt-painting-a-young-scholar-and-his-tutor
  • Which of the following is the earliest known sense of the word awe?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

TRENDING NOW

  1. exonerate Barr summarizes Mueller report

  2. catamount Vermont enters the Round of 64

  3. mendacious, mendacity George Conway calls Trump a liar

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games