dialect

[dahy-uh-lekt]

noun

1. Linguistics.,  a variety of a language that is distinguished from other varieties of the same language by features of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, and by its use by a group of speakers who are set off from others geographically or socially.

2. a provincial, rural, or socially distinct variety of a language that differs from the standard language, especially when considered as substandard.

   Synonyms: patois, idiom

3. a special variety of a language.

   The literary dialect is usually taken as the standard language.

4. a language considered as one of a group that have a common ancestor.

   Persian, Latin, and English are Indo-European dialects.

5. jargon or cant.

dialect

/ ˈdaɪəˌlɛkt /

noun

1. 1. a form of a language spoken in a particular geographical area or by members of a particular social class or occupational group, distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation

   2. a form of a language that is considered inferior

      the farmer spoke dialect and was despised by the merchants

   3. ( as modifier )

      a dialect word

Other Word Forms

• dialectal adjective
• subdialect noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dialect¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin dialectus, from Greek diálektos “discourse, language, dialect,” equivalent to dialég(esthai) “to converse” ( dia- “through, between” + légein “to speak”) + -tos verbal adjective suffix; dia-

Word History and Origins

Origin of dialect¹

C16: from Latin dialectus, from Greek dialektos speech, dialect, discourse, from dialegesthai to converse, from legein to talk, speak

Synonym Study

See language.

Example Sentences

Jones also had to swap her British accent out for a thick, distinctive Delco accent, as the dialect spoken by those from Delaware County is affectionately called.

From Los Angeles Times

She has to know the city, its peoples, dialects, and languages.

From Los Angeles Times

The 37-year-old former Doctor Who star, who grew up in Inverness, posted on Instagram that "my dialect coach can sit this one out".

From BBC

"It betrays your class. It betrays your origin. All over the world people are trying to reclaim accents and dialects that have been lost."

From BBC

I had a great dialect coach called Jude McSpadden who was fantastic, and she kept me on track.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accent 
• idiom 
• jargon 
• language 
• lingo 
• patois 
• pronunciation 
• slang 
• terminology 
• tongue 
• vernacular 
• vocabulary