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
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
Black communities are usually at the creative vanguard, from Renaissance art movements to fashion and even colloquialisms.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
Every language has its dialects, and each dialect can have its unique spin on colloquialisms.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
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
Black communities are usually at the creative vanguard, from Renaissance art movements to fashion and even colloquialisms.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
Every language has its dialects, and each dialect can have its unique spin on colloquialisms.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquialism
Noun
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Steven Gebelin, who represented Puig in 2021 and 2022, testified at trial that his then-client tried to be helpful during the interview but, because the interpreter’s Spanish dialect differed from Puig’s, his answers were translated poorly.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Puig’s former attorney Steven Gebelin testified that during the January 2022 interview, Puig tried to be helpful in answering the investigators’ questions and the interpreter struggled with Puig’s Spanish dialect, according to the New York Times.—
Jaimie Ding,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Not every company uses the same terminology, but these phrases generally describe how tax relief services are delivered and billed.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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This bipartisan push is more than a simple change of terminology.—
Adam Abutaa,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Brittany is joined by Emily Kwong, co-host of NPR’s science podcast Short Wave, to explore why putting your brain through learning a new language offers surprising benefits and opportunities for connection.—
Brittany Luse,
NPR,
16 Feb. 2026
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Neither Wicks, nor any other legislator, has released legislative language yet aimed at supporting the industry.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Those books introduced me to a vision of American teenage life and taught me the rhythms and idioms of American English, nuances that would later replace my Britishisms and shape my career as a journalist.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Next to the particularities of place—the Midwest, the South—or enmeshed with it, are the particularities of language, of idiom, and ways of saying.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Nate’s style, vocabulary and delivery are like no one else who has ever lived.—
Mac Engel
February 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Feb. 2026
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Francesca’s pinnacle Once a Regency world has implied there’s mass print culture capable of speedy and pervasive distribution of colored images, something as persnickety as vocabulary is probably beside the point.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Blending Milanese slang with French and Arabic, his rhymes should bring a fresh energy to the event.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Feb. 2026
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Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Bad Bunny reached global success singing in Spanish, popularizing Puerto Rican slang across the world and putting a spotlight on the plight of Puerto Rican people.—
Saba Hamedy,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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