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
d
: a variety of language whose identity is fixed by a factor other than geography (such as social class)
spoke a peasant dialect
f
: a version of a computer programming language
2
: manner or means of expressing oneself : phraseology
Cite this Entry
“Dialect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.
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