1
as in dialects
the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field
scientific vocabulary
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2
as in languages
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication
children learn enough of the common vocabulary to make themselves understood by around the age of two
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Recent Examples of vocabularies
Teams were asked to learn new interfaces, adopt new vocabularies, and take responsibility for outputs whose behavior remained probabilistic rather than deterministic.
—
Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The discovery of language skills in great apes — various gorillas and chimps learned substantial vocabularies in sign language or symbols — and that of tool use across the animal kingdom have, over the years, chipped away at the idea that there is any single ingredient that makes humans unique.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Children who are read to from under a year old often have larger and more complex vocabularies than their peers by the age of three.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
The 306-page book use solos by Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis and other jazz immortals to provide melodic and rhythmic vocabularies for improvisation.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
All the tired vocabularies have been thrown out, replaced by a mad, post-minimalist openness and pluralism.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Transcripts, grammars, vocabularies, dictionaries, glyph studies, botanical studies, commentaries, articles, editions of codices, correspondence, maps, charts, drawings, photographs, Maya Society materials, genealogies of Maya families, and Mayan glyphs on moveable type.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Sep. 2025
Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The discovery of language skills in great apes — various gorillas and chimps learned substantial vocabularies in sign language or symbols — and that of tool use across the animal kingdom have, over the years, chipped away at the idea that there is any single ingredient that makes humans unique.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Children who are read to from under a year old often have larger and more complex vocabularies than their peers by the age of three.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
The 306-page book use solos by Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis and other jazz immortals to provide melodic and rhythmic vocabularies for improvisation.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
All the tired vocabularies have been thrown out, replaced by a mad, post-minimalist openness and pluralism.
—Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Transcripts, grammars, vocabularies, dictionaries, glyph studies, botanical studies, commentaries, articles, editions of codices, correspondence, maps, charts, drawings, photographs, Maya Society materials, genealogies of Maya families, and Mayan glyphs on moveable type.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vocabularies
Noun
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The event also featured a video about the three countries and fundraising for Sudan, poetry readings, a Kahoot game about the three dialects and prizes, henna and face painting, Syrian dance, a Sudanese wedding reenactment, a fashion show and ethnic food.—
Janice Neumann,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
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Each one is overflowing with the familiar sights of families taking a passeggiata, or stroll, the aromatic smells of fresh pasta and pizza napoletana, and the musical sounds of the Italian language and its many regional dialects.—
Giovanna Caravetta,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Yet across these differences runs a common insistence that poetry remains capable of bearing witness at precisely those moments when other languages fail.—
Alex Averbuch,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
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Also known for novels like Dracul and The Fourth Monkey, Barker’s books have been translated into two dozen languages, sold in more than 150 countries, and been optioned for both film and television.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those books introduced me to a vision of American teenage life and taught me the rhythms and idioms of American English, nuances that would later replace my Britishisms and shape my career as a journalist.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Like fellow North Carolinians Wednesday and MJ Lenderman—local stars descended from the likes of Lucinda Williams and Drive-By Truckers—Dowdy carves complex new visions into the idioms of his upbringing.—
Jenn Pelly,
Time,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Perennials like brittlebush, creosote and the little flame tongues of chuparosa are out.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
21 Feb. 2026
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The bright red, tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, whose long beaks and tongues perfectly suit the flower shape.—
Anne Readel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vocabularies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vocabularies. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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