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 second leader lasted a year before the gap between his language and output caught up. — Jeremy MacLiver, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Bringing that strange world to life on screen were production designers Brandon Tonner-Connolly and Matt Hyland, who had just 25 days to create the film’s distinctive visual language in Canada’s Pacific Northwest. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026 Freeder says this kind of language could be influencing Florida’s GOP voters to avoid the practice. — Elijah Lott, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026 But the respite after the signing was short-lived, with Washington and Tehran seemingly adopting different interpretations of the language used in the interim agreement. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 10 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
  • The language is closely related to — but distinct from — German, with a heavy admixture of Hebrew and Aramaic vocabulary, Slavic grammar and other influences.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Sign languages are independent languages with their own grammar and vocabulary.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of vocabulary
Noun
  • Group Captain Tarun Kumar Singha was involved from the earliest stages of story development, while Group Captain Alok Chaudhary coached the cast on cockpit body language and military bearing, uniform protocol and radio terminology.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Chevy answered the Ford Ranchero with the El Camino, a similar car/truck concept that gained greater fame and entered the lexicon of automotive terminology, running for most of the 1960s until 1987.
    — Greg Migliore, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 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
  • The wafer dissolved almost instantly; his tongue roved around, trying to coax the soggy body of Christ from his molars.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Similarly, soccer cleats are available in elite firm, pro firm, laceless, foldover tongue or turf or ground.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of tongue
Noun
  • Google says training across languages, dialects, and different proficiency levels helped the model learn structures shared between sign languages.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Outpouring of grief The sound of sobbing underlays chanting in dozens of dialects woven together in a single expression of sorrow for Imam Hussein and his companions and family, killed and taken captive in the defining event of Shia Islam.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dialect
Noun
  • Its quincunx to Saturn in your 3rd House of Communication may make timing, wording, or facts especially important.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The wording led some of Hank’s followers to accuse him of using ChatGPT.
    — Matt Carlstrom, Vanity Fair, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of wording
Noun
  • The idiom and the small connecting words are all in the right places, and at this length that is hard to fake.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Holden Caulfield is made to tell his own story, in his own strange idiom.
    — Book Marks, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of idiom
Noun
  • Young artists like the members of the Chilean boy band Q_ARE are fusing these elements with Latin music styles, Spanish and English lyrics and Chilean slang to pioneer a uniquely Latino pop subgenre.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The latest slang to capture the Gen Z zeitgeist is a way to say poser, try-hard or fraud.
    — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of slang

Phrases Containing language

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laneways
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Cite this Entry

“Language.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/language. Accessed 17 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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