lingo
noun
lin·go
ˈliŋ-(ˌ)gō 
plural lingos or lingoes
: strange or incomprehensible language or speech: such as
a
: a foreign language
It can be hard to travel in a foreign country if you don't speak the lingo.
b
: the special vocabulary of a particular field of interest
The book has a lot of computer lingo.
c
: language characteristic of an individual
He has his own lingo … and at the top of each shift, he delivers a monologue that sets the table for his show.—
Tim Sullivan
Tim SullivanExamples of lingo in a Sentence
It can be hard to travel in a foreign country if you don't speak the lingo.
The book has a lot of computer lingo that I don't understand.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump and his hogmen are co-opting actual Nazi lingo from the gutter of the internet, speaking in references only Fox News viewers and Q-Anon adherents can parse, and rehabilitating the r-word as some sort of edgy pose that the rest of us learned was cruel in middle school.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Educational twists are included, as Joe and the athletes explain sports terminology and lingo.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Hot sleeper this, hot sleeper that: the real hell of sleeping—including neck pain, spine sensitivity, and a cursed sleeping position—is often overlooked by temperature-regulating lingo.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2025
Despite the serious circumstances, their investigation still leaves room for Charles' comical bad acting, Oliver's zest to make a great podcast, Mabel's ability to teach them both some Gen Z lingo — and, of course, the murder board.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lingo
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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James Folta, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Educational twists are included, as Joe and the athletes explain sports terminology and lingo.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Hot sleeper this, hot sleeper that: the real hell of sleeping—including neck pain, spine sensitivity, and a cursed sleeping position—is often overlooked by temperature-regulating lingo.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2025
Despite the serious circumstances, their investigation still leaves room for Charles' comical bad acting, Oliver's zest to make a great podcast, Mabel's ability to teach them both some Gen Z lingo — and, of course, the murder board.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lingo
Cite this Entry
“Lingo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lingo. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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