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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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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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Some stems from that, and then some stems from being around Pacific Islanders all day and other Samoans and Hawaiians and different dialects and different slang.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
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And last summer, Ferrari executives reportedly received WhatsApp voice messages mimicking their CEO’s voice, down to the regional dialect.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Automated transcription tools may struggle with accuracy, particularly in disciplines with specialized terminology or nuanced language.—
Beth Worthy,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Jane says 'cuckold' is a 'spot-on' description for Diddy Geragos asked about Jane researching lifestyle terminology that could help define their relationship in 2022.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
10 June 2025
Noun
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Strip out all corporate language, jargon, and unnecessary words.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Because perhaps heartbreak is not only a curse, but also a language.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Unleashing Wood has ushered in an exciting new phase for a widely influential band that has defined a state-of-the-art jazz idiom deeply engaged with other genres.—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
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Scientists analyzed recordings of three groups of chimpanzees living in the Ivory Coast and found that chimps can combine their hoots, grunts and calls in a similar way to how humans use idioms or change the order of words to build new phrases.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
11 May 2025
Noun
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According to the California Library Association, summer reading programs help children and teens retain and enhance their reading skills over the summer and benefit adults by stimulating the brain, increasing vocabulary and sparking imagination.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
16 June 2025
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For much of the past 1,000 years, Yiddish was spoken by three quarters of the world’s Jews — a Germanic vernacular, seasoned with Hebrew, Slavic and Romance vocabulary, that bridged polyglot Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe and followed them to the far corners of the diaspora.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Twain dared to buck the expectations of critics by using the colloquial dialect and slang of those with little education.—
Kyra Davis Lurie
June 11,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2025
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Some stems from that, and then some stems from being around Pacific Islanders all day and other Samoans and Hawaiians and different dialects and different slang.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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