1
as in terminology
the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field
scientific vocabulary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in language
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
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 vocabulary
The subject matter is deathly serious—international war, unfolding in real time, killing thousands—yet the visual vocabulary is preposterously trivializing.
—
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
Arnold says that by the age of 18 months, his daughter Ariah already had a working vocabulary of 250 words.
—La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Yet the man currently in charge of the kingdom, the one who has added two championships of his own to the university coffers, is struggling with the old vocabulary in this very modern-day college athletics world.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
Hall challenges my perspective (and my vocabulary) in delightful and sometimes devastating ways.
—The Know, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vocabulary
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
Arnold says that by the age of 18 months, his daughter Ariah already had a working vocabulary of 250 words.
—La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Yet the man currently in charge of the kingdom, the one who has added two championships of his own to the university coffers, is struggling with the old vocabulary in this very modern-day college athletics world.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
Hall challenges my perspective (and my vocabulary) in delightful and sometimes devastating ways.
—The Know, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vocabulary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vocabulary
Noun
-
Additional procedural and administrative changes to filing requirements, terminology and other matters may also impact associations in meaningful ways.—
Evonne Andris,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
What’s the proper terminology to describe his motion?—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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 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
-
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
-
In the original Chicago slang that produced Chad, the female counterpart was typically a Trixie rather than a Stacy.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Mogging is internet slang for dominating someone less attractive.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 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
Cite this Entry
“Vocabulary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vocabulary. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
