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
Gestures, colloquialisms, facial expressions, local cuisine, and the like are not incidental to a tongue but constitute it; sometimes, to capture a word or phrase, in writing or in an algorithm, is to stamp out its meaning.
—
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
What started out as an advertising slogan for Apple more than 15 years ago has morphed into somewhat of a modern day colloquialism: There should be an app for that.
—Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
What started out as an advertising slogan for Apple more than 15 years ago has morphed into somewhat of a modern day colloquialism: There should be an app for that.
—Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquialism
Noun
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Fisher’s Amish roots and ability to speak Pennsylvania Dutch, the Old Order Amish dialect, has helped build rapport with likeminded musicians.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
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Even minor differences in curriculum or language and dialect can pose significant challenges and reduce the shareability of these programs.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Greg Dortch fills the Raymond role and is familiar with Petzing’s terminology from their time together in Arizona.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Much of the spring was spent installing systems — learning calls, adjustments, and terminology—but the tempo picked up noticeably by the final week.—
Harold Gutmann,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The language of civil rights will always be most appealing to political minorities in search of procedural arguments to temper or frustrate the will of the majority.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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In late March, Tijuana officials introduced an English-language app known as the Emergency Button, or Botón de Emergencia.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Buildings—a contemporary, fluid interpretation of the Cretan idiom by Pieris.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
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Like the idiom, their coffee shop hopes to bring surprising offerings to the coffee scene.—
Jenna Thompson
April 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Honesty isn’t in her vocabulary.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
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By the end of the learning unit, Burton said growth in the children could be seen as their vocabularies expanded to using words such as thermometer, blood pressure and punctured.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The home was dubbed Snowman in honor of Bryan’s late brother, Chris, who earned the nickname from the golf slang for a score of eight on an individual hole.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
16 Apr. 2026
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In the original Chicago slang that produced Chad, the female counterpart was typically a Trixie rather than a Stacy.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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