as in dialect
a word or phrase that is used mostly in informal speech; a colloquial expression
His English is very good, but he has trouble understanding certain colloquialisms.
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Recent Examples of colloquialism
This could involve helping systems learn colloquialisms and proper usages of terms.
—
Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
You would be forgiven for assuming this a playful colloquialism, perhaps revealing a tenderness to the hunt.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Black communities are usually at the creative vanguard, from Renaissance art movements to fashion and even colloquialisms.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
Every language has its dialects, and each dialect can have its unique spin on colloquialisms.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
You would be forgiven for assuming this a playful colloquialism, perhaps revealing a tenderness to the hunt.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Black communities are usually at the creative vanguard, from Renaissance art movements to fashion and even colloquialisms.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
Every language has its dialects, and each dialect can have its unique spin on colloquialisms.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquialism
Noun
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The event also featured a video about the three countries and fundraising for Sudan, poetry readings, a Kahoot game about the three dialects and prizes, henna and face painting, Syrian dance, a Sudanese wedding reenactment, a fashion show and ethnic food.—
Janice Neumann,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
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Domaine des Etangs officially resides in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, though locals still call it Limousin (of the eponymous dialect, and Limousin cattle).—
Lydia Bell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Every day, the two connect via WhatsApp to go over what happened in training that day, from tactics and film to terminology and expectations.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
22 Jan. 2026
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With modern terminology, the anti-liberal playbook of the 1950s has returned, once more, by conflating progressive politics with communism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Each class is a one- hour adventure of hearing and speaking another language.—
Kris Slugg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Its sequel Dhurandhar 2 is scheduled for theatrical release March 19, 2026, in five languages — Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam — expanding significantly beyond the original's Hindi-only strategy.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Created in 1947, the Doomsday Clock was created to convey threats to humanity and the Earth using the imagery of apocalypse (midnight) and the contemporary idiom of nuclear explosion (countdown to zero).—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
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There’s this Douglas Adams joke that in no language is there the idiom as pretty as an airport.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Executives arrive with a vocabulary of risk, resilience, and stakeholder responsibility that can sound consistent year to year.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Learn a vocabulary, a manner, a worldview.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Pachuco was a term used for Mexican American men in the 1930s and 40s who wore flashy zoot suits, spoke their own slang and formed a small but notable countercultural scene in Los Angeles.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Jan. 2026
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Indiana, to quote Gen Alpha slang, is mid, literally.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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