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
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In it, Italian peasants Matteo and Natale discuss this same cosmic occurrence in the rustic Paduan dialect of the time.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
3 July 2025
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Around the table, his family speak the local dialect of the Veneto region.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Over time, the confusing terminology—agentic AI, agent AI, generative AI—will fade.—
Shaz Khan,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Five other experts that Popular Science corresponded with for this article all agree on this ‘crisis’ terminology.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
29 May 2025
Noun
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The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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The guidance encourages agencies to explore alternatives such as artificial intelligence and machine translation where minimal assistance in other languages remains appropriate.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
14 July 2025
Noun
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Overall, the impression the car imparts is decidedly futuristic, and the design idiom certainly aligns with other recent luxurious EV concepts, such as those unveiled by Jaguar, Mercedes, and Genesis, as well as production vehicles such as the Tesla Cybertruck.—
Brett Berk,
Robb Report,
8 July 2025
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By the time these terms get into the mainstream, new ones have already appeared, although some (such as to dig or cool) remain staples of the idiom despite wide non-Negro use.—
Benjamin Hale
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
Noun
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During the Cold War, popular culture provided Americans with images of (and a vocabulary for) nuclear war.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
10 July 2025
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But at the start of the project, which launched in 2023, their vocabularies differed dramatically.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
8 July 2025
Noun
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And June 2025 brought a fresh batch of slang that's either charming, confusing, or mildly alarming.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
8 July 2025
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Words change meaning over time, slang infiltrates the mainstream, and sometimes, a little creative license is acceptable.—
Jerry Weissman,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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