as in colloquial
used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing
writes essays in a very easy-to-read, vernacular style
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in idiom
Related Words
2
as in binomial
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vernacular
Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Built between 1929 and 1938, the residence reflects Plunkett’s mastery of California vernacular architecture.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Jan. 2026
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Clase is known to be involved in rooster fighting in his native Dominican Republic, though the prosecution is alleging that the vernacular used in communication between Clase and co-conspirators instead represents pitch-rigging.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vernacular
Adjective
Some authors of quasi-impossible books like Nabokov (Ada, or Ardor), Pynchon (Gravity’s Rainbow) and Wallace (Infinite Jest) nevertheless manage to write unfailingly entertaining sentences that never lose a certain vernacular crackle, and that are often funny.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Built between 1929 and 1938, the residence reflects Plunkett’s mastery of California vernacular architecture.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
Those songs could only have been sung by one person in the vernacular of that person.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Clase is known to be involved in rooster fighting in his native Dominican Republic, though the prosecution is alleging that the vernacular used in communication between Clase and co-conspirators instead represents pitch-rigging.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vernacular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vernacular
Adjective
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The realism, though, comes in the particularity of the Spanish dialogue, the cultural exchanges, and colloquial understandings that run through this community — and from Mexico to the United States.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
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The country that lays colloquial claim to the pastime has historically underperformed, quite clearly because other nations were simply trying harder in the form of better players agreeing to participate.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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If the assignment is to translate something from a foreign language, there are plenty of tools and resources that can do it for you, including by recognizing and figuratively translating idioms.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
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The centuries-old pot-kettle idiom points out hypocrisy — as when one person accuses another of a flaw that afflicts himself.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There was no third option in this binomial exercise.—
Chantel Jennings,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
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She is credited with naming and cataloging hundreds of native plants in the Hudson River Valley using Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus’ then-new binomial system of botanical nomenclature.—
Jessica Damiano,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Mar. 2024
Noun
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The exhibit’s title is derived from a Spanish colloquialism.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Feb. 2026
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Her vetting crusades have brought about a new Washington colloquialism.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The five-occupant seating designation is a misnomer in sub-compact SUVs, unless second-seat occupants are particularly petite adults or children.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
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The Self-Clean Setting, Explained Despite the misnomer, ovens cannot actually clean themselves.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In military parlance, this usually translates to one attack on a specific target that might involve multiple weapons.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
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In baseball parlance, Naylor looked runnerish.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Luchs would not comment on what that entails or whether the new owners could use the famous brand name to promote the restaurant.—
Richard Guzman,
Daily News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Still, the distillery has continued to release new whiskeys under its Ross & Squibb division, including its first wheat whiskey under the Remus brand name.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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To qualify as critical regionalism, contemporary architecture had to use traditional tropes and local materials in unfamiliar variations, refuse to treat a site as just another blank slate, and use structure in an expressive way, visibly connected to a building’s purpose.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
28 Jan. 2026
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Just don’t let the deniers know that regionalism and sustainability are essentially one and the same.—
Richard Olsen,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vernacular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vernacular. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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