slang

noun \ ˈslaŋ \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

Definition of slang

1 : language peculiar to a particular group: such as

a : argot

b : jargon 1

2 : an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech

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slang

adjective

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slangily

play \ˈslaŋ-ə-lē\ adverb

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slanginess

play \ˈslaŋ-ē-nəs\ noun

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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

That duality continues in every facet of the game: Meatpunks mixes ASCII art and detailed character portraits; flowing, sentimental prose and internet slang-riddled dialogue; moments of quiet sadness and punchy, rebellious violence.

— julie muncy, WIRED, "Extreme Meatpunks Forever," 11 July 2018
It's called Cruzando el charco, or Crossing the Puddle—Puerto Rican slang for travel to the mainland.

— martha bayne, Chicago Reader, "Arts / Performing Arts / Visual Art / Theater Y No Había Luz brings the voices of post-Maria Puerto Rico to Chicago," 9 July 2018
Text messages should be brief and easily understood and should not include any abbreviations, emojis or slang.

— arielle kass, ajc, "Fulton County rolls out 911 texting option in five cities," 6 July 2018
In yet another, fans from Mexico hold a woman up in the air and urge her to use a slang word for a female body part in Spanish.

— Washington Post, "Fans at World Cup criticized for videos disrespecting women," 20 June 2018
The additions related to crypto — a slang word that many use to refer to cryptocurrencies — signal how much confusion there is around how this budding branch of finance works.

— katy steinmetz, Time, "'Cryptocurrency' and 'Dumpster Fire' Were Officially Added to the Dictionary," 5 Mar. 2018
There are hundreds of slang words for marijuana, according to a list put out by the Drug Enforcement Administration in July 2018.

— david selig, Sun-Sentinel.com, "These are all marijuana slang words, according to the DEA," 12 July 2018
There's a slang word in Jamaica called streggae, a term for a way some people dressed, scruffy.

— patricia meschino, Billboard, "As Reggae Celebrates 50 Years, Some of the Genre's Pioneers Look Back on Its Worldwide Ascent," 1 July 2018
Language is also fluid: People in Russia and Ukraine have long used slang to describe one another, but as conflict between them has escalated in recent years, certain words have taken on more hateful meaning.

— michal lev-ram, Fortune, "Facebook's Fix-It Team," 22 May 2018

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! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1756

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

slang Synonyms

Synonyms

argot, cant, dialect, jargon, jive, language, lingo, patois, patter, shop, shoptalk, terminology, vocabulary;

journalese;

Other Language Terms

cognate, collocation, homonym

slang

verb

Definition of slang

slanged; slanging; slangs

intransitive verb

: to use slang or vulgar abuse

transitive verb

: to abuse with harsh or coarse language

First Known Use of slang

1828

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

SLANG Defined for English Language Learners

slang

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