1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

colloquialism

noun

Definition of colloquialismnext
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.

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 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 While Niles’ lack of dialogue and his comedic chops can translate well and lead to worldwide exposure, a character whose appeal depends on English-language jokes and colloquialisms is harder to export. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquialism
  1. dialect
  2. terminology
  3. language
  4. idiom
  5. vocabulary
  6. slang
Noun
  • Italy is a unique country where every city has its own identity, architecture, traditions, flavors, dialects and even different ways of life.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Punic, the language of Carthage, was a dialect of Phoenician that was widely used in North Africa.
    — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of dialect
Noun
  • By following an idea through scholarship, students can see how terminology shifts, arguments develop, and disagreements emerge, and how their own writing enters that process.
    — Saurabh Anand, JSTOR Daily, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The result can be a homepage filled with procedures, devices, awards, credentials and medical terminology without a clear reason to keep going.
    — Chris Zelig, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of terminology
Noun
  • Whole lives are neatly bound in tidy language, conveyed within the confines of a page or two.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • So early this year, Henderson's doctors, evaluating his tumor's deep genetic language, turned to a drug made by Merck and AstraZeneca called Lynparza.
    — Arthur Allen, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of language
Noun
  • The first Velvet Underground album, the mid-period Beatles, Kinks, and Creedence Clearwater Revival records, with enough time, seem almost like different components to the same idiom.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Cinema is, after all, a language, and Belgian filmmakers come from a country built on the need to understand language as a bridge—between its regions, its people, and its idioms.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of idiom
Noun
  • Children often don’t have the vocabulary to name a fear directly or the confidence that a topic is safe to raise.
    — Anahi Collado, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Skin barrier talk has moved from dermatology offices into TikTok routines and product marketing, and the vocabulary is starting to change how people buy skincare.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of vocabulary
Noun
  • McCaffrey and the 49ers will return to the United States after their win and lesson in Australian slang to play the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The script itself is filled with the language of its time and place, including Berliner gutter slang and high-society clichés, casino speech and capitalist jargon, spoken Yiddish and literary German.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of slang

Browse Nearby Words

colloquial
colloquialism
colloquialisms
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All