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

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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

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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 That can be true of certain elements and film grammar, and film language evolves with that. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026 On a Sunday morning in the southeastern Brazilian city of Volta Redonda, Cuban migrants gathered for a Spanish-language Bible study. — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026 The Tulu people, also known as Tuluva, speak the Tulu language and have distinct cultural traditions, including unique religious customs and performing arts. — Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Aug. 2026 The film follows the five-day competition at the Navajo Nation Fair, where seven contestants are evaluated in a series of events designed to test their knowledge of Navajo culture and language. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Aug. 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
  • For decades, fashion has expanded that vocabulary, introducing new cuts and silhouettes with the promise that each one says something different about the person wearing it.
    — Alesandra Dubin, Glamour, 31 July 2026
  • This requires deployment at the edge, integration into proprietary data pipelines, fine-tuning for domain-specific vocabularies, and compliance with local data sovereignty laws.
    — Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of vocabulary
Noun
  • Regulating invasive plants is a complicated business, and the terminology is not standard.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Why The Vocabulary Isn't The Problem MCP, connectors, plugins, MCP apps—the terminology multiplied faster than anyone explained it, so people treat them as competing choices.
    — Penta Rao Marapatla, Forbes.com, 27 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
  • Their noses and the inside of their ears and their long tongue muscles were delightfully pink, the color of a crayon.
    — Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Suson showcased the Mega Bumper Geobasket sneakers, which feature a platform sole and extended tongue.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
Definition of tongue
Noun
  • Both Drake and Lütke rejected Canadian smallness, the reflex that says our cities are minor markets, our companies are acquisition targets, and our culture is a regional dialect of America's.
    — Kumaran Nadesan, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Mandarin is the language of formal schooling in China since middle school, and the result, as Li describes it, is a generation that speaks its ancestral dialect with growing unfamiliarity.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 July 2026
Definition of dialect
Noun
  • The majority of clients of both the stage school and MJM do not have this wording in their contracts and, as part of our ongoing work with business consultants, the wording has been removed from all contracts.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 30 July 2026
  • The wording may also state whether a candidate authorized it.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of wording
Noun
  • Holden Caulfield is made to tell his own story, in his own strange idiom.
    — Book Marks, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • Please put on your batteries — a Mexican Spanish idiom that means to cowboy up.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of idiom
Noun
  • Kerr, for example, questioned Valdez’s command of English given his use of Caló, a culturally specific dialect that blends Mexican Spanish slang with English.
    — Carlos Aguilar, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
  • 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
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 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on language

Nglish: Translation of language for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about language

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