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 The store will be the first to showcase the new Regent Concept, Burberry’s new global store design language, created in collaboration with the interior designer Peter Mikic. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026 Its programming draws from the surrounding borough of Newham, which is one of London’s most vibrant and diverse districts, with more than a hundred different languages spoken among its residents. — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026 The synth worked, but the device stopped speaking the same language as the installers. — ArsTechnica, 26 Oct. 2026 As Mastercard’s Lambert explained to me, x402 is basically a messaging language that can speak credit card or debit card or stablecoin—or whatever form of payment both parties to the transaction agree upon. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 26 Oct. 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
  • Rouleaux, in the vocabulary of dark-field microscopy, are blood cells that are stacked like pancakes.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The diagnosis gave a vocabulary and a tangibility to their fears.
    — Kirsten Balin, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of vocabulary
Noun
  • Tobias Gehrke, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the disagreement over terminology was unlikely to derail closer cooperation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • On screen, a third season of Monarch would likely feature new Titans — the Monsterverse terminology for the likes of Godzilla, King Kong and other giant monsters.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of terminology
Noun
  • The clarity in the diction may suggest both a way of absorbing difficult emotion and a way of keeping it at bay.
    — Colm Tóibín, Literary Hub, 30 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
  • The tongue and collar are cushioned to offer better stability and comfort around your ankle, too.
    — Abby Hepworth, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Finally, the Air Max tongue logue can also be altered to incorporate text up to three characters on each shoe.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of tongue
Noun
  • Joseph Hill, the director of the Center for Black Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University, asserted that BASL is generally treated as more of a dialect than a language.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The reality, of course, is that the Southern accent is not some incorrect version of a national standard but instead a historically separate and unique dialect – or, more accurately, set of dialects.
    — Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of dialect
Noun
  • And, yes, this rendition represented a lyrical alteration by the Tonji that departed from the traditional wording of the French national anthem.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • In the ads analyzed by Noticias Telemundo, the form and content indicating it was done with AI varied; there were differences ranging from the text size to the wording.
    — Anagilmara Vílchez, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of wording
Noun
  • Its palette is broad, moving from comic to straight rap, from Cab Calloway swing to Beyoncé-style ballads, each idiom chosen for its dramatic purpose.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Over the decades, though, Reich’s idiom has become part of the mainstream.
    — Joshua Barone, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of idiom
Noun
  • There’s a level of seriousness that belies the 90-minute comedy film he’s made, which features an imbecilic white rapper who speaks in Caribbean-British slang and a contraption that shoots bullets out of one’s rear end.
    — Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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 1 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about language

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