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
There is even a colloquialism for those who curry favor among the moneyed on the island of Palm Beach.
—
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
It’s been a year of chaos and colloquialisms, as the internet shaped not only our vocabulary but our entire political system.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2025
And, like any colloquialism popularized by an internet trend, celebs, brands and even the president himself cashed in on the sensation.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 28 Dec. 2024
Kam understood the regional colloquialism assignment!
—Cindi Andrews and Katie Wissman, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
It’s been a year of chaos and colloquialisms, as the internet shaped not only our vocabulary but our entire political system.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2025
And, like any colloquialism popularized by an internet trend, celebs, brands and even the president himself cashed in on the sensation.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 28 Dec. 2024
Kam understood the regional colloquialism assignment!
—Cindi Andrews and Katie Wissman, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquialism
Noun
-
It is written in an almost stream-of-consciousness style, rather like someone reluctantly dredging up their memories, with random thoughts interrupting the narrative, long sentences sometimes running to over a page, little punctuation, and peppered with Kobe dialect.—
Ginny Tapley Takemori
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The Cajun dialect is a very particular one.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Security, errors, and trust dominate the risk analysis Despite the hype and muddled terminology, the core idea of AI agents—systems designed to autonomously take action to carry out specific tasks—is still generating a lot of justifiable excitement.—
Sage Lazzaro,
Fortune,
3 Sep. 2025
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Educational twists are included, as Joe and the athletes explain sports terminology and lingo.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The language was tacked on in a last-minute amendment just before the legislature adjourned for the 2024 session.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
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Various exemptions for the requirement include having certain disabilities, having less than three years of formal English language learner instruction or receiving intensive support.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 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
Noun
-
For decades, BCIs were limited to toy demos and small vocabularies.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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There was a clear vocabulary to define consent within OneTaste, but one witness after another spoke of pressure and powerlessness.—
Thessaly La Force,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
But first, the deeper history and roots of certain slang terms A number of phrases that are labeled as Gen Z lingo or internet slang today are derived from Black and drag cultures.—
Mia Thurow,
jsonline.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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Algorithmic social media is driving the creation of new slang at a breakneck pace.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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