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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 terms of an authorization typically identify the provider or entity permitted to disclose information, which records are included, the date range, the recipient, and the expiration and revocation language. — Matthew Kayser, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026 In Italy, style, lifestyle, creativity, craftsmanship, art, design and daily rituals are part of the same cultural language. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026 Despite a surge in demand for Ukrainian-language books following Russia’s 2022 invasion, the destruction is setting the industry back — and the losses go beyond money. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026 Around this time, psychedelics began reentering mainstream American life, although largely through the language of mental health. — Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • In deceptively plain diction, the hurdle of one love relationship provokes an exploration of desire and belonging.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Lead actor Anthony Ippolito, who landed the part with an unsolicited self-tape, disappears into the garbled diction and hangdog stubbornness of a young Stallone without ever coming off as a mere impression of a person.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of diction
Noun
  • New asymmetrical Fieg and Asics branding features on the tongue and mustache, the former of which appears in the latter’s signature font, and a special Kith 15th anniversary graphic graces the insole.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Some Republicans are no longer holding their tongues about their concerns with Collins or his campaign.
    — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of tongue
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
  • An underfunded, conditional, or incomplete proposal may not qualify, but that determination depends on the offer’s exact wording and the governing law.
    — Ethan Stone, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of wording
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
  • 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

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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 28 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on language

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about language

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