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language

noun

ˈlaŋ-gwij How to pronounce language (audio)
Definition of languagenext
1
as in vocabulary
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication Great Britain, the United States, Australia, and other countries where English is the dominant language

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in terminology
the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field "love" means "nothing" in the language of tennis

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in diction
the way in which something is put into words we're finding the language of the legal documents to be tough going

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 language The language of exploitation and cultural extraction gave the battle a purpose that seemed to extend well beyond either rapper. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026 When combined with local grievances, the language of American election denial was right at home in Brazil. — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026 Rollout timing differs by market, and some territories will get the films with subtitle options covering as many as six languages, Korean among them. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026 Going forward, Gurman says Apple could use Beats for more products that don’t get Apple’s premium materials, design language, or pricing, making gaming controllers a natural fit for the subsidiary brand. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for language
Recent Examples of Synonyms for language
  1. vocabulary
  2. terminology
  3. diction
  4. tongue
  5. dialect
  6. wording
  7. idiom
  8. slang
Noun
  • The number quickly became part of the national vocabulary, printed on memorials, spoken at ceremonies and repeated every September as the number of FDNY firefighters who died at the World Trade Center.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
  • But after September 11, Islam was thrust into the center of the country’s political imagination largely through the vocabulary of terrorism.
    — Ayman M. Mohyeldin, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of vocabulary
Noun
  • While the terminology can vary based on a deal’s parameters, naming rights, title and presenting sponsorships are present in three of Europe’s Big Five soccer leagues.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That requires someone who can teach those ideas and terminologies to players who learn in different ways and at different speeds.
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of terminology
Noun
  • Touma said that, not unlike today, access to education and wealth often affected one's diction and vocabulary.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Regrettably, even after all this time living here, my bride never fails to seize the opportunity to suggest my diction is something less than poifect.
    — Irv Erdos, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of diction
Noun
  • Backcountry Tiny Homes The interior measures 400 sq ft (37 sq m), which is around the same as a studio apartment, and has an attractive finish made up of natural tongue-and-groove knotty pine on the walls and ceiling, plus hardwood floors.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026
  • His selection of proteins for street tacos include favorites like beef tripe, cow tongue, cow head, suadero, birria, pollo al pastor, carnitas and chorizo.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of tongue
Noun
  • Its traditional dialect, Brusselian, was the only language that was neither just Germanic nor just Romance, but both Germanic and Romance.
    — Benjamin Moser, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Owner and chef Stefania Marchesini, who fished professionally herself for 11 years, pays a premium to local fishermen, especially for soft-shell crabs known in the local dialect as moeche.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of dialect
Noun
  • Nearly 80% of likely voters say 14 statewide propositions and dense wording make the ballot overwhelming, shortly before mail-in voting begins for more than 23 million Californians.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Clumsy wording and odd formatting used to give fraudulent emails away.
    — Pawan Jain, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of wording
Noun
  • 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
  • The multigenerational family epic is one of my favorite kinds of novels, and Min Jin Lee is a master of that idiom.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of idiom
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

Phrases Containing language

Browse Nearby Words

laneways
language
languages
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Cite this Entry

“Language.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/language. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on language

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about language

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