a body of words and the systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition: the two languages of Belgium; a Bantu language; the French language; the Yiddish language.
communication by voice in the distinctively human manner, using arbitrary sounds in conventional ways with conventional meanings; speech.
the system of linguistic signs or symbols considered in the abstract (opposed to speech).
any set or system of such symbols as used in a more or less uniform fashion by a number of people, who are thus enabled to communicate intelligibly with one another.
any system of formalized symbols, signs, sounds, gestures, or the like used or conceived as a means of communicating thought, emotion, etc.: the language of mathematics; sign language.
the means of communication used by animals: the language of birds.
communication of meaning in any way; medium that is expressive, significant, etc.: the language of flowers; the language of art.
linguistics; the study of language.
the speech or phraseology peculiar to a class, profession, etc.; lexis; jargon.
a particular manner of verbal expression: flowery language.
choice of words or style of writing; diction: the language of poetry.
Computers. a set of characters and symbols and syntactic rules for their combination and use, by means of which a computer can be given directions: The language of many commercial application programs is COBOL.
a nation or people considered in terms of their speech.
Archaic. faculty or power of speech.
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Origin of language
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, variant spelling of langage, derivative of langue “tongue.” See lingua, -age
SYNONYMS FOR language
4, 9 tongue; terminology; lingo, lingua franca.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR language ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for language
2. See speech. 4, 9. Language,dialect,jargon,vernacular refer to linguistic configurations of vocabulary, syntax, phonology, and usage that are characteristic of communities of various sizes and types. Language is a broad term applied to the overall linguistic configurations that allow a particular people to communicate: the English language; the French language.Dialect is applied to certain forms or varieties of a language, often those that provincial communities or special groups retain (or develop) even after a standard has been established: Scottish dialect; regional dialect; Southern dialect. A jargon is either an artificial linguistic configuration used by a particular (usually occupational) group within a community or a special configuration created for communication in a particular business or trade or for communication between members of groups that speak different languages: computer jargon; the Chinook jargon. A vernacular is the authentic natural pattern--the ordinary speech--of a given language, now usually on the informal level. It is at once congruent with and, in relatively small ways, distinguished from the standard language in syntax, vocabulary, usage, and pronunciation. It is used by persons indigenous to a certain community, large or small.
OTHER WORDS FROM language
pre·lan·guage,adjective
Words nearby language
Langshan, Langston, langsyne, Langton, Langtry, language, language acquisition device, language arts, language death, language laboratory, language planning
It offers a more searing version of events than the sometimes technical language in previous crash reports and investigations, including one conducted by the Transportation Department’s Inspector General.
Boeing crashes were the “horrific culmination” of multiple mistakes, House report says|kdunn6|September 16, 2020|Fortune
The language that was used — that could have possibly had a chilling effect on other people coming forward — shouldn’t have been allowed.
Can Anita Hill Forgive Joe Biden … and Work With Him?|Pallabi Munsi|September 14, 2020|Ozy
Toucan raises $3 million to teach you new languages as you browse the web — The startup has developed a Chrome browser extension designed for anyone who wants to learn a new language but hasn’t found the motivation or the time.
Daily Crunch: Apple revises App Store rules|Anthony Ha|September 11, 2020|TechCrunch
Looking ahead, Toucan is planning to add new languages and to launch browser extensions for Firefox and Safari.
Toucan raises $3M to teach you new languages as you browse the web|Anthony Ha|September 11, 2020|TechCrunch
This announcement covers changes to Google Search, Google News, autocomplete, fact checking, through BERT and language processing.
Google now uses BERT to match stories with fact checks|Barry Schwartz|September 10, 2020|Search Engine Land
His first language was Russian, then he learned Swedish, but chooses to perform in monosyllabic broken English.
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’|Marlow Stern|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We also have a language filled with distaste for the civilian “others.”
A Veteran’s View: NYC Cold War Between Cops and City Hall|Matt Gallagher|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The language school did not focus on providing instruction but instead was a visa mill.
ISIS, Boko Haram, and the Growing Role of Human Trafficking in 21st Century Terrorism|Louise I. Shelley|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Deck the Halls” was written back in the 16th century, when the English language was very different.
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But truth be told, I never came close to mastering the language despite my excellent grades.
Obama’s One Hand Clap With Castro|Doug McIntyre|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"I am improving my mind by the study of the French language," she said.
A Life Sentence|Adeline Sergeant
There is no direct charge conveyed by Mr. Knox, but there is evidently expressed the language of doubt and surmise.
The Works of William Cowper|William Cowper
Stay with us and learn our language,” one of them said: “become our father and our friend, and we will build you a house.
Pioneers and Founders|Charlotte Mary Yonge
The language of the Hazaras is an old dialect of Persian with some admixture of Turki words.
At the Court of the Amr|John Alfred Gray
But, in the language of a distinguished citizen of the old republic, 'we are confronted by a condition, not a theory.'
Comrades|Thomas Dixon
British Dictionary definitions for language
language
/ (ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ) /
noun
a system for the expression of thoughts, feelings, etc, by the use of spoken sounds or conventional symbols
the faculty for the use of such systems, which is a distinguishing characteristic of man as compared with other animals
the language of a particular nation or peoplethe French language
any other systematic or nonsystematic means of communicating, such as gesture or animal soundsthe language of love
the specialized vocabulary used by a particular groupmedical language
a particular manner or style of verbal expressionyour language is disgusting
computing See programming language
speak the same languageto communicate with understanding because of common background, values, etc
Word Origin for language
C13: from Old French langage, ultimately from Latin lingua tongue
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Calling All Wordies: Why Do You Love Language And Words?We're asking you, Dictionary.com wordies (a person with an enthusiastic interest in words and language; a logophile), to tell us why you love language and words. Go!
A system of objects or symbols, such as sounds or character sequences, that can be combined in various ways following a set of rules, especially to communicate thoughts, feelings, or instructions. See also machine languageprogramming language.
The set of patterns or structures produced by such a system.