vernacular

adjective ver·nac·u·lar \ vər-ˈna-kyə-lər , və- \

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Examples: vernacular in a Sentence

Definition of vernacular

1 a : using a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language

b : of, relating to, or being a nonstandard language or dialect of a place, region, or country

c : of, relating to, or being the normal spoken form of a language

2 : applied to a plant or animal in the common native speech as distinguished from the Latin nomenclature of scientific classification

the vernacular name

3 : of, relating to, or characteristic of a period, place, or group; especially : of, relating to, or being the common building style of a period or place

vernacular architecture

—

vernacularly

adverb

See vernacular defined for English-language learners

See vernacular defined for kids

Examples of vernacular in a Sentence

While there are American operas galore, some of which are quite good indeed, there is no vernacular opera tradition in America—instead, we have musical comedy—and now that supertitles have become standard equipment at major American opera houses, the chances that those houses will start regularly performing foreign-language operas in English translation have dropped from slim to none. —Terry Teachout, New York Times Book Review, 9 Nov. 1997
Native crafts, the use of local materials, and vernacular buildings were considered integral to each country's heritage, and their preservation and revival became part of the movement to forge a strong national identity. —Wendy Kaplan, Antiques, October 1995
For the proliferation of rich vernacular literatures in the twelfth century secured the place of the vulgar tongues in European society, and this entrenchment of the vernacular tongues made the European peoples more conscious of being separated from each other; decreased the cosmopolitan attitudes of the European nobility; and encouraged xenophobia, which became common in the thirteenth century. —Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993
Hurricanes, fires and economic development unfortunately have caused many examples of both vernacular and more classical architecture to disappear over the years. —Suzanne Stephens, Architectural Digest, 1 Aug. 1990
the vernacular architecture of the region
writes essays in a very easy-to-read, vernacular style

Recent Examples of vernacular from the Web

Also on the docket: a collaborative show at Kopeikin Gallery, in which painter Kirsten Tradowsky painted works from gallerist Paul Kopeikin’s collection of vernacular photography.

— carolina a. miranda, latimes.com, "Essential Arts: A wild procession, a female 'Tempest' and music's new sounds of protest," 30 June 2018
Designed by Anna-Marie Chin Architects, the 1,291-square-foot off-grid home, known as Tom’s House, combines the features of vernacular cabin architecture with contemporary twists, almost literally.

— lauren ro, Curbed, "Rent this black-clad off-grid cabin for your next holiday," 14 June 2018
The prospect of bulldozing vernacular architecture, obliterating streets, and displacing communities were rightly derided as philistine.

— darran anderson, The Atlantic, "The Cities That Never Existed," 17 June 2018
Other obsessions are embodied by a visionary 1972 image by Purvis Young (1943-2010), a vernacular icon, with rows of figures and angels against a lush red ground, and two enormous white horses, symbols, for Young, of power and freedom.

— karen wilkin, WSJ, "‘History Refused to Die’ Review: A Visual Equivalent of Jazz," 30 May 2018
His studio is low-slung, gray, anonymous: an exemplar of the banal, vernacular L.A. that Ruscha has captured in so many paintings and photographs.

— mark rozzo, Vanities, "Ed Ruscha Still Has Plenty More to Say About America," 30 May 2018
Both Olympics studiously avoided national colors in favor of vernacular ones, and Josten argues, emphasized the ephemeral.

— alexandra lange, Curbed, "Lessons from LA’s 1984 Summer Olympics," 17 May 2018
The intellect and genius is there, even underneath prose that’s conversational without being at all vernacular or simple.

— jill golden, Time, "Octavia Butler 101: Two Scholars on the Sci-Fi Genius Who Inspired Janelle Monáe," 4 Apr. 2018
Mr Kinnear’s goal is to make the iambic pentameter seem as vernacular as artificial.

— The Economist, "The making of a Shakespearean actor," 15 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of vernacular

Latin vernāculus "belonging to the household, domestic, native" (from verna "slave born in the household"—of uncertain origin— + -āculus, perhaps originally diminutive suffix, though derivation is unclear) + -ar

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1601

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

vernacular Synonyms

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

vernacular

noun

Definition of vernacular

1 : a vernacular language, expression, or mode of expression : an expression or mode of expression that occurs in ordinary speech rather than formal writing

2 : the mode of expression of a group or class

3 : a common name of a plant or animal as distinguished from the Latin nomenclature of scientific classification : a vernacular name of a plant or animal

See vernacular defined for English-language learners

Examples of vernacular in a Sentence

But ask baseball people about [Michael] Young, and they'll admiringly tell you that he is a "grinder," vernacular for a player who works his butt off. —Chris Ballard, Sports Illustrated, 8 May 2006
… the sources for [Cole] Porter's chromaticism and syncopation are the vernacular of black music in America. —Stephen Brown, Times Literary Supplement, 21 Jan. 2005
For Lu Xun helped revolutionize Chinese writing, tugging the written language toward the vernacular so that it was easier to learn, and he even endorsed the heresy of abandoning Chinese characters for the Roman alphabet so that literacy could spread more easily. —Amy Hempel, New York Times Book Review, 19 Aug. 1990
New Mexico is not the easiest region in the country for an architect to establish a practice in. It is not that the area is indifferent to architecture—it is more that the traditional south-western architectural vernacular is so awe-inspiring that it tends to overwhelm most efforts to create a credible personal voice. —Paul Goldberger, Architectural Digest, October 1986
What was required was a vagrant and a visionary, a man of mystic recklessness. The man who dared point the way would have to use the vernacular, and not speak but shriek. Paracelsus (1493–1541) was suspect in his day, and never lost his reputation as a charlatan. —Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers, 1983
He spoke in the vernacular of an urban teenager.
phrases that occur in the common vernacular

Recent Examples of vernacular from the Web

Like much of Beyoncé’s most fascinating work of late, the album—a collaboration with her husband JAY-Z—emphasizes the unique intersection of what New Yorker writer Doreen St. Felix describes as her Southernness and the global black vernacular.

— joshunda sanders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Everything Is Love Is the Ultimate Ode to Black Freedom," 22 June 2018
Simon’s songs helped usher in the age of post-modern pop, a vernacular that followed the rhythm trail from West Africa to Brazil, Cuba, New Orleans and Memphis, with a nod to Brill Building songcraft and doo-wop’s satin swing.

— greg kot, chicagotribune.com, "Paul Simon still searching after all these years," 7 June 2018
The whole culture and vernacular came into the mainstream through Paris Is Burning.

— joe lynch, Billboard, "How Billy Porter & Jack Mizrahi Are Ensuring Ballroom Realness In Ryan Murphy's 'Pose'," 15 June 2018
The language, suspiciously similar to the vernacular used by President Trump, did little to quash the wild conspiracy theories surrounding the first lady's lack of public sightings.

— refinery29.com, "Melania Trump Is Set To Make Her First Public Appearance In Weeks," 4 June 2018
It's become sort of part of the vernacular of humor as in: easy joke.

— chris barton, latimes.com, "For H. Jon Benjamin of 'Archer' and 'Bob's Burgers,' it's all in the voice," 25 Apr. 2018
And Juul users have their own vaping vernacular: zeroing, Juuling, party mode, Juul nation.

— jill tucker, SFChronicle.com, "As Juul vaping surges among teens, health concerns grow," 27 May 2018
Decades later, 420 has gone mainstream, firmly establishing itself in our collective vernacular.

— brad branan, sacbee, "Four things to know about 420 on the eve of 4/20 | The Sacramento Bee," 19 Apr. 2018
Which means, in Trump's own vernacular, stay tuned!

— chris cillizza, CNN, "Donald Trump's war against himself leads to North Korea summit cancellation," 24 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of vernacular

noun derivative of ¹vernacular

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1661

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

VERNACULAR Defined for English Language Learners

vernacular

adjective

Definition of vernacular for English Language Learners

: of, relating to, or using the language of ordinary speech rather than formal writing
: of or relating to the common style of a particular time, place, or group