dialect

noun

di·​a·​lect ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt How to pronounce dialect (audio)
often attributive
1
linguistics
a
: a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from other regional varieties and constituting together with them a single language
the Doric dialect of ancient Greek
a dialect of Chinese spoken in Hong Kong
b
: one of two or more cognate (see cognate entry 1 sense 3a) languages
French and Italian are Romance dialects
c
: a variety of a language used by the members of a group
such dialects as politics and advertisingPhilip Howard
d
: a variety of language whose identity is fixed by a factor other than geography (such as social class)
spoke a rough peasant dialect
f
: a version of a computer programming language
2
: manner or means of expressing oneself : phraseology
dialectal adjective
dialectally adverb

Examples of dialect in a Sentence

They speak a southern dialect of French. The author uses dialect in his writing. The play was hard to understand when the characters spoke in dialect.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The delightful elocution of their dry-as-martini witticisms (dialect coach Nancy Carlin) adds to the joys of this period piece. Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024 Scholars say their separation from the mainland caused residents to retain much of their African heritage, including their unique dialect and skills and crafts such as cast-net fishing and basket-weaving. Russ Bynum and Emily Wagster Pettus, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024 Variations in pronunciation due to accents and dialects pose significant challenges for AI. Beth Worthy, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 Cultural differences like a patient’s accent or dialect can be completely overlooked or misinterpreted by an AI transcription service. Renée Onque, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dialect 

Word History

Etymology

Middle French dialecte, from Latin dialectus, from Greek dialektos conversation, dialect, from dialegesthai to converse — more at dialogue

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dialect was in 1566

Dictionary Entries Near dialect

Cite this Entry

“Dialect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

dialect

noun
di·​a·​lect ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt How to pronounce dialect (audio)
1
: a regional variety of a language differing from the standard language
2
: a variety of a language used by the members of a particular group or class
peasant dialect
dialectal adjective
dialectally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on dialect

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