dialect
noun
di·a·lect
ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt 
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 advertising—
Philip Howard
Philip 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
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
To prepare, Reid worked with a dialect coach and learned the specific physicality associated with Natalia's condition.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
The interview was conducted in a mixture of English and Low German, a dialect widely spoken within the Christian Mennonite community.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
Eligible genres include tango, folk, flamenco, and other traditional subgenres, excluding tropical music and its derivatives, and must be in Spanish, Portuguese or in indigenous languages or dialects.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
Early French influence led to many dialects.
—Aubri Juhasz, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dialect
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Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
The interview was conducted in a mixture of English and Low German, a dialect widely spoken within the Christian Mennonite community.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
Eligible genres include tango, folk, flamenco, and other traditional subgenres, excluding tropical music and its derivatives, and must be in Spanish, Portuguese or in indigenous languages or dialects.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
Early French influence led to many dialects.
—Aubri Juhasz, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dialect
Cite this Entry
“Dialect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dialect
noun
di·a·lect
ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt
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
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