slang

play

noun \ˈslaŋ\

Definition of slang

1 : language peculiar to a particular group: such asa : argotb : jargon 1
2 : an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech

slang

adjective

slangily

play \ˈslaŋ-ə-lē\ adverb

slanginess

play \ˈslaŋ-ē-nəs\ noun

slangy

play \ˈslaŋ-ē\ adjective

See slang defined for English-language learners

See slang defined for kids

Examples of slang in a Sentence

tends to use too much hacker's slang when talking to coworkers about their computer problems

Recent Examples of slang from the Web

What was once limited to New York has since expanded into a full network with its own slang, style, and sense of unity.

— rooney, Teen Vogue, "Voguing 101 With Cakes Da Killa", 30 June 2017
This is particularly true of slang and informal language.

— danielle tcholakian, Longreads, "How Do Words Get Added to the Dictionary?", 29 June 2017
Atkinson's Irish accent and McInerney's slang-rich narrative may be hard going at first.

— jenni laidman, chicagotribune.com, "Audiobook roundup: Shelley Atkinson sparkles with 'The Blood Miracles'", 12 June 2017
The project’s name is borrowed from wartime British slang for the Belgian village of Ploegsteert, which sits south of Messines and was the site of intense mining operations.

— gl archive, National Geographic, "This Explosion Was the Biggest Blast Before Atomic Bombs", 6 June 2017
Dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster checked in with an eye-rolling tweet, and dozens of definitions have been submitted to the Urban Dictionary website, which crowdsources slang terms.

— Fox News, "Mobile game Words with Friends adds 'covfefe' to its list", 2 June 2017
Dozens of definitions have been submitted the Urban Dictionary website, which crowdsources meanings for slang terms.

— Bloomberg.com, "Social Media Rushes to Define Trump’s ‘Covfefe’ Tweet", 31 May 2017
The cheeky name of this coffee shop is French slang for the activity that made the district famous.

— katja brokke, CNN, "Amsterdam Red Light District: How the city cleaned up its sleazy center", 18 May 2017
Hearing their road slang is like pigeon English to our refined and sensitive NorCal ears.

— gary richards, The Mercury News, "Roadshow: Defending Tom Hanks and ‘The 101’", 18 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slang'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of slang

origin unknown

NEW!

First Known Use: 1756

See Words from the same year

Other Language Terms

cognate, collocation, homonym

slang

verb

Definition of slang

intransitive verb
: to use slang or vulgar abuse
transitive verb
: to abuse with harsh or coarse language

First Known Use of slang

1828

SLANG Defined for English Language Learners

slang

play

noun

Definition of slang for English Language Learners

: words that are not considered part of the standard vocabulary of a language and that are used very informally in speech especially by a particular group of people