Language — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈlaŋ-gwij/ lan·guage

Meaning & Definition of Language

Language (noun)

  1. an organically developed system of communication used by groups of humans
  2. the words, their pronunciation, their written representation, and the methods of combining them as used and understood by a community
  3. a system of communication with a vocabulary and a grammar that uses hand gestures and their placement relative to the upper body, facial expressions, body postures, and finger spelling, sign language

Language (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication

    "Great Britain, the United States, Australia, and other countries where English is the dominant language"

    similar: lingo, mother tongue, speech, tongue, vocabulary
    related: acrolect, argot, cant, colloquial, dialect, idiolect, idiom, jargon, parlance, patois, patter, pidgin, slang, slanguage, vernacular, colloquialism, localism, provincialism, regionalism, shibboleth, vernacularism, terminology, coinage, modernism, neologism

  2. the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field

    "love means nothing in the language of tennis"

    similar: argot, cant, dialect, jargon, jive, lingo, patois, patter, shop, shoptalk, slang, terminology, vocabulary
    related: colloquial, colloquialism, idiom, localism, parlance, pidgin, provincialism, regionalism, speech, vernacular, vernacularism, slanguage, bureaucratese, computerese, cyberspeak, educationese, governmentese, journalese, technobabble

  3. the way in which something is put into words

    "we're finding the language of the legal documents to be tough going"

    similar: diction, phraseology, phrasing, verbiage, wording
    related: expression, formulation, locution, enunciation, phrase, speech, style, utterance, voice

Related Entry: Body language (noun)

Body language is a different word from Language. The synonyms below are for body language, not for language.

  1. movements or positions of the body that express a person's thoughts or feelings

    "We could tell from his body language that he was nervous."

    similar: attention, attitude, carriage, poise, posture, stance, station, pose, seat, bearing, behavior, conduct, demeanor, deportment, air, presence, aspect, look, mien

Related Entry: Sign language (noun)

Sign language is a different word from Language. The synonyms below are for sign language, not for language.

  1. as in body language, sign

    similar: gesticulation, gesture, mime, pantomime, sign, signal, beck, beckon, flourish, shrug, wave, body language, posture, indication, motion

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Language

The most common words with a similar meaning to Language:

lingo, mother tongue, speech, tongue, vocabulary, argot, cant, dialect, jargon, jive, patois, patter, shop, shoptalk, slang, terminology, diction, phraseology, phrasing, verbiage, wording

Related Words for Language

acrolect, colloquial, idiolect, idiom, parlance, pidgin, slanguage, vernacular, colloquialism, localism, provincialism, regionalism, shibboleth, vernacularism, coinage, modernism, neologism, bureaucratese, computerese, cyberspeak, educationese, governmentese, journalese, technobabble, expression, formulation, locution, enunciation, phrase, style

Word Forms of Language

Inflections: languages

Origin & Etymology of Language

Middle English, from Anglo-French langage, from lange, langue tongue, language, from Latin lingua tongue

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Language

Words & Phrases Containing Language

language arts, language model, language barrier, language laboratory, American Sign Language, assembly language, body language, contact language, figurative language

Frequently Asked Questions about Language

What does "Language" mean?

"Language" means an organically developed system of communication used by groups of humans. As a noun, it is defined as: an organically developed system of communication used by groups of humans. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Language"?

Other words for "Language" include lingo, mother tongue, speech, tongue, vocabulary, argot, cant and dialect. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Language" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Language"?

There are 53 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Language". Common alternatives include lingo, mother tongue, speech, tongue, vocabulary, argot, cant, dialect, jargon and jive.

How do you use "Language" in a sentence?

Examples of "Language" in a sentence: "Great Britain, the United States, Australia, and other countries where English is the dominant language"; "love means nothing in the language of tennis"; "we're finding the language of the legal documents to be tough going".

Is "Language" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Language" is a noun.

Is "Language" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Language" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Language"?

"Language" is pronounced /ˈlaŋ-gwij/ and divided into syllables as lan·guage.

What is the origin of the word "Language"?

"Language" comes from Middle English, from Anglo-French langage, from lange, langue tongue, language, from Latin lingua tongue. First known use: 14th century.