as in dialect
a word or phrase that is used mostly in informal speech; a colloquial expression
His English is very good, but he has trouble understanding certain colloquialisms.
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Recent Examples of colloquialism
What started out as an advertising slogan for Apple more than 15 years ago has morphed into somewhat of a modern day colloquialism: There should be an app for that.
—
Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
This could involve helping systems learn colloquialisms and proper usages of terms.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
You would be forgiven for assuming this a playful colloquialism, perhaps revealing a tenderness to the hunt.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Black communities are usually at the creative vanguard, from Renaissance art movements to fashion and even colloquialisms.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
This could involve helping systems learn colloquialisms and proper usages of terms.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
You would be forgiven for assuming this a playful colloquialism, perhaps revealing a tenderness to the hunt.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Black communities are usually at the creative vanguard, from Renaissance art movements to fashion and even colloquialisms.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquialism
Noun
-
Human communication with honeyguides in northern Mozambique occurs in local dialects.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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The gambit that Shelley somehow comes to possess her fictional creation is sustained, as Ida alternates between a very American dialect and a more high-toned British accent.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There’s no official word from Netflix, but the terminology making it into the code could suggest an imminent launch.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
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That’s looks-maxxing terminology for becoming really, really hot.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Speech-language pathologists work with people who have disorders involving speech, language and swallowing, sometimes from injuries, medical conditions or developmental delays.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Once each semester, Grit Matthias Phelps, a German language instructor at Cornell University, introduces her students to the raw feeling of typing without online assistance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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.—
George Skelton,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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The fact that the same software enabled such a range of idiosyncratic styles decisively undermines any claim of a causal relationship between Gehry’s digital tools and his formal vocabulary.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
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Ehrlich’s contributions to that vocabulary proved far more durable than his predictions.—
Brian C. Keegan,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mogging is internet slang for dominating someone less attractive.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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In 1993, Green started compiling 500 years of English slang by sifting through mountains of primary sources.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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