dialect

American  

[dahy-uh-lekt] / ˈdaɪ əˌlɛkt /

noun

• dialects
  plural

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.

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dialect British  

/ 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

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Synonym Usage

See language.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subdialect
  noun
• dialectal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dialects
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of dialect

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; see origin at dia-

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Explanation

If the language you speak in your region is different in vocabulary, grammar and accent than the main form of the language, you speak a dialect. If your cousin in rural Arkansas can't understand your jokes, blame it on differences in dialect. Both an accent and a dialect contain variations in pronunciation from the standard form of a language. When you speak a dialect, however, you also use different words and grammar, sometimes to such a degree that speakers of the dialect and the standard form of the language have a hard time understanding each other.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dialect dialects

But here’s what I find: If you listen to Irish speakers say the name, it lands somewhere between MOY-ruh and MORE-uh, depending on dialect.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

Many deaf children in Kenya learn a patchwork of makeshift signs, and the local dialect lacks many technical terms used to teach subjects like maths and biology.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

Yet the director considers the series’ standout moments to be those in Mallorquin, Nadal’s native Catalan dialect, in which the athlete appears at his most natural.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Sophie has been working with a dialect coach to perfect the accent, but admitted it was "easy to pick up".

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

“I wonder what dialect they speak at Stanford.”

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Quebeckers accused him, among other things, of “glottophobia”—prejudice against dialects or accents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

But Tan Ying Ying, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University who studies dialects, isn't optimistic that this will reverse the trend.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

Still, young Singaporeans have shown growing interest in connecting with their heritage, from learning the dwindling dialects of their grandparents to taking lessons and organising trips to ancestral hometowns in China.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

But Twain’s greatest discovery was his gloriously unshackled literary style, which was inspired by local dialects and liberated from European refinements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

It was true that idioms and nuances and dialects often eluded him in Igbo, but the directorate was always too prompt in sending interpreters.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Related Words

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

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