mother tongue

Definition of mother tonguenext
as in language
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication although the anthropologist could speak the local language fairly well, she was always glad to find someone who shared her mother tongue

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 mother tongue The ones who needed to leave their mother tongue in order to find their true voice. Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025 While many nations have codified their mother tongue—France with French, Japan with Japanese, or Mexico with Spanish—America has always relied on practice and practicality rather than statute. Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 Japanese is the only language that leaves Li’s mouth, but her occasional inner monologues are in her mother tongue, the most crucial example expressing her growing conflict with the very act of writing itself. Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2025 Many countries offer visas for language learning, which are student visas specifically designed for people interested in studying the mother tongue of a destination. Solo Travel, AFAR Media, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mother tongue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother tongue
Noun
  • These are not lazy callbacks, but shared touchstones — part of a pop cultural language the film embedded into our collective consciousness, and that the show both celebrates and lovingly skewers.
    Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
  • The Oakland City Council did not author the actual language of the parcel tax initiative, which will appear as Measure E on the June ballot and is expected to generate $34 million annually.
    Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The nation and the world have long since become accustomed to Trump’s loutish behavior, coarse vocabulary and disrespect for the dignity of his office and America’s reputation.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Shredding was never in my dad’s vocabulary.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The result is that these Iranian characters, when talking among themselves in their native tongue, sound awfully like Americans having a conversation in the mall or at a nearby table at a restaurant.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Again, the whole bite melted on my tongue.
    Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The British colonial name of New Cut was different from other nearby creeks—Wadmalaw, Bohicket, Leadenwah, Stono—all named in Indigenous dialects.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Today, many of those words fill out the default dialect of an entire generation — regardless of race, region or class — living online.
    Moriah Humiston, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • And, as the idiom goes, steel sharpens steel.
    Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 7 Apr. 2026
  • An idiom is a phrase that is common to a certain population.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mother tongue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother%20tongue. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.

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