lingo

noun

ˈliŋ-(ˌ)gō How to pronounce lingo (audio)
Definition of lingonext
1
as in vocabulary
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication medical missionaries struggling to learn the lingo of the African tribe that they were treating

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in terminology
the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field the shorthand medical lingo that the hospital staffers use with one another

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 lingo Part of the movie is set in New York’s downtown clubland and Firstman uses all kinds of lingo to describe various narcotics. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 13 May 2026 In business lingo, a friendly takeover is any merger or acquisition in which the management of one company willingly allows its absorption into another company. — Carlos Eire, Time, 23 Apr. 2026 The beaches of Normandy, France, were about to become the site of one of the largest amphibious invasions ever, and this day would forever be known as D-Day, the military’s standard lingo for the first day of a major op. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026 That’s thanks to temporary street names representing teams in the men's college basketball Final Four, teams in the Division II and III championships, teams in the National Invitational Tournament championship, former national champions crowned in Indy and other college tournament lingo. — Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lingo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lingo
  1. vocabulary
  2. terminology
  3. language
  4. dialect
  5. tongue
  6. slang
  7. idiom
Noun
  • Understanding The Exposure Gap Many young marketers arrive with ambition, vocabulary and a solid grasp of brand theory.
    — Michael Wright, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, the very vocabulary of humanitarianism and antiracism has become so selectively applied or debased as to be meaningless.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 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
  • In a world order in rupture, international law remains the one language power still has to answer to.
    — Alain Berset, Time, 6 July 2026
  • Although it is celebrated primarily in Latin, Lauer said the language is only part of its appeal.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
Definition of language
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
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • 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
  • Out of love for different sound systems, different writing systems, different grammars, different sets of concepts, different idioms, different ways of seeing the world.
    — Douglas Hofstadter, Time, 30 June 2026
Definition of idiom

Browse Nearby Words

lingers
lingo
lingos
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lingo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lingo. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lingo

Nglish: Translation of lingo for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All