sign language

noun

1

: any of various formal languages employing a system of hand gestures and their placement relative to the upper body, facial expressions, body postures, and finger spelling especially for communication by and with deaf people

But true sign languages are in fact complete in themselves: their syntax, grammar, and semantics are complete, but they have a different character from that of any spoken or written language.

—Oliver Sacks

Sign language relies mainly on the signer's hand, but facial expressions and body movements are also important.

—Mark Prigg

2

: an unsystematic method of communicating chiefly by manual gestures (as by people speaking different languages)

I decided to cadge a lift from a Lebanese who only spoke Arabic, so we had to converse in sign language.

—Robert Fox

Examples of sign language in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

About half of the child’s day is spent alongside general education students while the other half of the day includes breakout sessions tailored to deaf and hard of hearing students who will learn through oral approaches or total communication, which combines hearing and sign language. —Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Mar. 2026

Less common accommodations include emotional support animals, media captioning and sign language interpreting. —Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026

The bundle also includes specialty courses like ASL for babies and toddlers — helpful for early communication — along with scuba diving hand signals and an introductory e-book on the origins and etiquette of sign language. —Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026

The actress learned sign language and piano-playing for the role, Method-y affectations that explain the craftsmanlike lived-in quality of the performance. —Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sign language

• interlanguage
• metalanguage

Kids Definition

sign language

noun

1

: a formal language using a system of hand movements for communication (as by the deaf)

2

: a way of communicating mainly by hand and arm movements as often used by people speaking different languages

Medical Definition

sign language

noun

: any of various formal languages employing a system of hand gestures and their placement relative to the upper body, facial expressions, body postures, and finger spelling especially for communication by and with deaf people