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 Replacing the 1960s era Union Carbide Building, the tower has come to the fore not just for its scale and sustainable features, but also for the design language shaping its interiors — a story in which Italy’s Molteni Group is now staking a claim. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 13 July 2026 The visitor was struck by the image of a young Coffin in a dark theatre, straining to piece together a language that might as well have been gibberish. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 The project includes everything from videos of an Indigenous musician performing a song about water in the Tongva language to brothers worrying about the future of their family’s 60-year-old pickle business in the face of gentrification. — Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 In operation, the system first predicts future visual states from current observations and language instructions. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 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
  • American adults also tend to have a smaller vocabulary than those with an equivalent level of education did half a century ago.
    — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • Reading for pleasure can also help build vocabulary and reading fluency while enhancing focus.
    — Michelle Kearney, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
Definition of vocabulary
Noun
  • The goal is to develop proficiency in cybersecurity terminology and the technical skills essential for identifying common cyberattack methods.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Using basic academic terminology would place grants at risk of rejection or termination on political grounds.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Definition of terminology
Noun
  • This was a lexicon both earthy and expansive, a diction vulgar and elevated, granular and capricious.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • This isn’t to suggest that Young needs to pick up where Hunt has left off, in terms of salty diction.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Definition of diction
Noun
  • Instead people voted with their wallets and not a single person was harmed except maybe some marketing guys getting a tongue lashing.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
  • The oral microbiome is the community of more than 700 bacterial species that live across your teeth, tongue, cheeks, gums and tonsils, making the mouth the second most diverse microbial habitat in the human body after the gut.
    — Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of tongue
Noun
  • Unlike the brighter, more melodic style often associated with Austria and the Tyrol region, Swiss yodeling is slower and more melancholic — an emotionally nuanced tradition rooted in distinct regional dialects.
    — Jez Fielder, Fortune, 30 June 2026
  • Unlike the brighter, more melodic style often associated with Austria and the Tyrol region, Swiss yodeling is slower and more melancholic — an emotionally nuanced tradition rooted in distinct regional dialects.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 June 2026
Definition of dialect
Noun
  • That broad wording makes the offer sound useful to almost anyone planning travel.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
  • The budget language did not mention Peregrine by name, but its wording mirrors that used by FDLE in its April agreement with the company, and by the agency in its request for $6 million to the Legislature in January.
    — Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026
Definition of wording
Noun
  • Rooms are comfortable and in the same white idiom, often with jet-black bathrooms; some are duplexes with high ceilings and large windows.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
  • On the one hand, the translation serves as a source for the idioms of nineteenth-century English; on the other, as evidence of the ideas that the translator held about a Colombian woman writer.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
Definition of idiom
Noun
  • Their influence stretched beyond music into fashion, dance trends and slang, and as member Pimpin' noted, fans are still doing the group's signature dance more than two decades later, something a SeaWorld whale recently proved.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 23 June 2026
  • Benoit delights in language as much as her heroine, weaving Regency-era slang throughout and appending a chapter-by-chapter glossary of vulgarities.
    — Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 19 June 2026
Definition of slang

Phrases Containing language

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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 14 Jul. 2026.

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