1
as in vernacular
used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing
the new coworker's rudeness soon began—to use a colloquial expression—to rub me the wrong way
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conversational
having the style and content of everyday conversation
a colloquial essay on what makes a marriage successful
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in colloquialism
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of colloquial
Alan Wooten, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2025
The strawberry moon is the colloquial name for June's full moon, a term originating from Native American tribes who marked the time when wild strawberries reached peak ripeness.
—Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
So what follows is the colloquial Q&A, more or less unedited, from my email exchange with that reporter.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
There was something about Mecano’s language: it was spoken, colloquial, very Eighties, and unafraid to just say things.
—Vita Dadoo, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquial
Noun
Proposition 12 is the colloquial term for the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative.
—Alan Wooten, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2025
The strawberry moon is the colloquial name for June's full moon, a term originating from Native American tribes who marked the time when wild strawberries reached peak ripeness.
—Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
So what follows is the colloquial Q&A, more or less unedited, from my email exchange with that reporter.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
There was something about Mecano’s language: it was spoken, colloquial, very Eighties, and unafraid to just say things.
—Vita Dadoo, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquial
Adjective
-
The musical tastes and vernacular of Abbie and Leila also come from that era of Martin's life.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
31 July 2025
-
There are terms of affection for groups of players like the Busby Babes or Fergie’s Fledglings, but these were coined and used by journalists and not used in everyday vernacular.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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These names suggest individual agents with self-knowledge, but that's an illusion created by the conversational interface.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 Aug. 2025
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Aim for conversational, human-first language.—
Michael Shribman,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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This could involve helping systems learn colloquialisms and proper usages of terms.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Mar. 2025
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You would be forgiven for assuming this a playful colloquialism, perhaps revealing a tenderness to the hunt.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Even as liberal-seeming Amir invites Yusuf to join the Muslim Association, an informal organization of male Arab landowners, Yusuf’s father is killed in a night-time confrontation with the settlers.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
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The only time this percentage has been higher since City joined the informal ranks of that group was in 2009, at the outset of their Abu Dhabi project.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In this way, its role as a familiar calendar entity argues profoundly for itself, unsinkable and ever-long.—
Jordan Michelman,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
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Now, the Dragons (1-0) will face a familiar foe in Hebron.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Because the construction is a natural and graceful part of our English idiom.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
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Human reviewers still refine idiom and theology, but the transformation in speed will be similar to the jump from quill to printing press.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Perfect for long flights, city strolls, or casual dinners, the moisture-wicking fabric is stretchy, breathable, and even offers UPF 40+ sun protection.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
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Keep it casual in sneakers, or wear it with suede ankle booties to the pumpkin patch.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The hard problem is explaining how and why beings have conscious, subjective experiences at all (qualia in philosophical parlance).—
Kevin Dickinson,
Big Think,
20 Aug. 2025
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One part of this process, known in Senate parlance as reconciliation, provisions legislation being moved in this manner to increase the federal deficit beyond the next 10-year budget window.—
Andrea Ruth,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colloquial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquial. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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