Thesaurus results for MOTHER TONGUE

mother tongue

noun

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

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Recent Examples of mother tongue Work with people of different ages, backgrounds, perspectives, and mother tongues. —

Rachel Konrad, Time, 9 Dec. 2025 Each actress nails the comedic timing – and the accented English that flows with the cadence of their mother tongues. —

Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 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 See All Example Sentences for mother tongue

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother tongue

Noun

The language of civil rights will always be most appealing to political minorities in search of procedural arguments to temper or frustrate the will of the majority.

— Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
In late March, Tijuana officials introduced an English-language app known as the Emergency Button, or Botón de Emergencia.

— Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2026