1
as in vernacular
used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing
the new coworker's rudeness soon began—to use a colloquial expression—to rub me the wrong way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conversational
having the style and content of everyday conversation
a colloquial essay on what makes a marriage successful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in colloquialism
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of colloquial
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Tabloid Journalism and Audiences Tabloid newspapers not only differ in size from broadsheet newspapers but in the way articles are written; tabloid articles are typically written in a colloquial and sensational style.
—Shepherd Mpofu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Cicada’s disappearing routine Scientists who hunt for unusual Covid-19 variants waited to give this one a colloquial, or common, name.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
The realism, though, comes in the particularity of the Spanish dialogue, the cultural exchanges, and colloquial understandings that run through this community — and from Mexico to the United States.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colloquial
Adjective
The women’s game’s limited coverage meant his other honours with Umea — reaching two more UEFA Cup finals and five domestic trophies — were appreciated on a more colloquial level.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Tabloid Journalism and Audiences Tabloid newspapers not only differ in size from broadsheet newspapers but in the way articles are written; tabloid articles are typically written in a colloquial and sensational style.
—Shepherd Mpofu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Cicada’s disappearing routine Scientists who hunt for unusual Covid-19 variants waited to give this one a colloquial, or common, name.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
The realism, though, comes in the particularity of the Spanish dialogue, the cultural exchanges, and colloquial understandings that run through this community — and from Mexico to the United States.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for colloquial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquial
Adjective
-
Or like Dante’s Divine Comedy, which was called that because it was written in the vernacular, not Latin, and which uses the structure of the Christian voyage of the soul to navigate a mid-life crisis.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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The sound of motorbikes and cars fade as birds take over with their harmonies all around Nai Lert’s Thai vernacular style all-teak vacation home, built in 1915.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Dennis’s new poems are still conversational, philosophical, sometimes preachy, and cranky, and there is a fresh kind of transcendence here, one that has almost forgotten about disappointment.—
Craig Morgan Teicher,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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Prioritize systems that ensure correctness, even if that means sacrificing conversational elegance in high-stakes moments.—
Jerry Haywood,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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The exhibit’s title is derived from a Spanish colloquialism.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Feb. 2026
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Ways to learn a new language Apps are a good way to learn the basics and proper pronunciation, but many colloquialisms, abbreviations and grammatically informal expressions used by fluent or native speakers aren’t taught on apps or in language classes.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Closer to the beach, Pla Pla is a breezy, more informal space for burgers, pizzas, and a handful of Thai favorites in the daytime or steaks and seafood in the evening.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
In the previous two years, sporting directors have made informal approaches to outline the conditions of a potential deal.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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In mid-January, as Iran crushed wide-scale protests with the mass killing of demonstrators, Israel prepared a covert mission along the Azerbaijan-Iran border, two of the sources familiar with the plans told CNN.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
-
Broadcom is backstopping payments on the largest portions of the transaction, people familiar with the matter have said.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
Noun
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The Suez Canal incident of March 2021 revealed the same pattern in a different idiom.—
Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Probably because at the time many of the time signatures and chordal progressions that Miles used were over the head of a young guitar player still functioning in the blues and folk idioms.—
Steve Baltin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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Just beyond the front desk, a fire roars behind a massive stone hearth, and a live piano plays in the heart of the resort, the lobby lounge (dubbed the Living Room), a choice spot for lunch, casual meetings, or pre-dinner drinks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Goodman, with her friendly, approachable writing style, demystified what had previously been a wonky, mathematical discipline, allowing even casual readers to feel a newfound connection with the tides of the universe.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
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In corporate parlance, a spin-off occurs when a company creates a separate, independent business entity from one of its existing divisions.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
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The Space Force has inked contracts with emerging space companies—non-traditional primes, in military contracting parlance—to buy services, manufacture satellites and payloads, and launch rockets.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colloquial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquial. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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