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

Bravin added that for the deaf community, there are glasses on the market that show a sign language interpreter on the lens of the glasses, which would be more appealing. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 20 May 2025

Lincoln can now communicate with sign language and has learned to walk on his own. —Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2025

People can also scan QR codes on their phones to get sign language videos with the latest information. —Simon Hill, Wired News, 7 May 2025

In 1880, though, delegates at the Second International Congress on Education of the Deaf, held in Milan, voted overwhelmingly to ban sign language in schools. —David Owen, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025

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