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
My Spanish included Puerto Rican colloquialisms, Salvadoran sentence structure, and university-level Castilian vernacular.
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Katty Huertas, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2023
The word ‘choon’ is likely a colloquialism for tune—much like an ice-cream truck, a tuk-tuk bakery is fitted with a tune to attract customers along its path.
—Vidya Balachander, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Aug. 2023
Every concert is filled with tens of thousands of fans wearing and exchanging beaded bracelets spelling out the names of Swift songs and colloquialisms all the way up their arms.
—Time, 23 Aug. 2023
However, as some social media users pointed out, the phrase used by Foxx is a common Black colloquialism to describe betrayal from a person meant to be one of your biggest supporters.
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 6 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for colloquialism 
Katty Huertas, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2023
The word ‘choon’ is likely a colloquialism for tune—much like an ice-cream truck, a tuk-tuk bakery is fitted with a tune to attract customers along its path.
—Vidya Balachander, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Aug. 2023
Every concert is filled with tens of thousands of fans wearing and exchanging beaded bracelets spelling out the names of Swift songs and colloquialisms all the way up their arms.
—Time, 23 Aug. 2023
However, as some social media users pointed out, the phrase used by Foxx is a common Black colloquialism to describe betrayal from a person meant to be one of your biggest supporters.
—Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 6 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for colloquialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquialism
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Cap’n Don Johnson is alerted at the brig (terminology check?) and orders the ship to drop buoys, informing us that only 15 percent of overboard cases survive.Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
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That, and a diet of 1970s and 1980s ‘exploitation movies,’ or ‘genre titles’ to use contemporary terminology.Patrick Frater, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Yet research suggests that children up to age 5 can learn and process up to five languages.Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
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Luckily, just in time, Nick whispers the one word in the (British) English language that instantly turns back the clock.Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
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This brand of idiom deconstruction and crisp sound became a hallmark of Jones’ work from this point forward.A.D. Amorosi, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
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One of its vegan standout idioms is the manakish flatbread with roasted tomato, Biber Salcasi pepper paste, Aleppo and mint.Kaila Yu, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Beat communicated with advanced and exotic languages, its wide-ranging vocabulary including experimental, art-rock,pop, jazz, funk, new-wave and gamelan elements.Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2024
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But, as historian Robert O. Smith writes, since the phrase entered the country’s vocabulary, some Jewish Americans have firmly objected to it.Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Slang terms for marijuana Pot, Mary Jane, grass, reefer, green, hash, ganja and doobie are just a few of the ever-growing list of slang terms used in exchange for marijuana.Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
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Fact checked by Sarah Scott Parents of tweens and teens like me are always in need of a brush up on current slang terms, such as lala bop, and rizz.Melissa Willets, Parents, 1 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near colloquialism
Cite this Entry
“Colloquialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquialism. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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