parlance

noun

par·​lance ˈpär-lən(t)s 

1

: speech

especially : formal debate or parley

… battle and not parlance should determine his right and title.

—John Speed

2

: manner or mode of speech : idiom

The company's computer system had, in computer parlance, "crashed."

Examples of parlance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Michaels, who worked with Williams during the latter’s time in NXT, felt that Williams made a great babyface (a good guy in wrestling parlance), but needed to spend more time as a heel (bad guy). —Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026

In industry parlance, proponents of public power call for an electric distribution utility, which would own the local distribution grid and minimize the high costs — those delivery charges — of using higher voltage transmission lines. —Craig D. Rose, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026

In baseball parlance, that’s called having better control than command of your pitches. —Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026

But in modern English parlance, mantra has come to mean a person or group’s representative phrase, similar to a slogan or a watchword. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English parlaunce, borrowed from Anglo-French parlance, parlaunce "speech, gossip, debate," from parler "to speak, talk" + -aunce, -ance -ance — more at parley entry 2

Note: Parlance is much more amply attested in Anglo-French than in continental Old and Middle French, especially after ca. 1300. The Dictionnaire du moyen français has only marginal evidence for the word after 1350.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing parlance

• in common parlance

Kids Definition

parlance

noun

par·​lance ˈpär-lən(t)s 

: manner of speech