idiomatic
Americanadjective
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peculiar to or characteristic of a particular language or dialect.
idiomatic French.
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containing or using many idioms.
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having a distinct style or character, especially in the arts.
idiomatic writing; an idiomatic composer.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of idiomatic
1705–15; < Late Greek idiōmatikós, equivalent to idiōmat- (stem of idíōma ) idiom + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Anything idiomatic relates to expressions that cannot be understood according to their literal meaning, like "it's raining cats and dogs" or "bite the bullet." An idiom is a turn of phrase, like saying a restaurant has gone to the dogs, which has nothing to do with dogs but means the restaurant has seen better days. You could say an idiom is an idiomatic expression. You could also say an idea — like how politics is like a horserace — is idiomatic. When you're learning a foreign language, idiomatic speech — which is natural to native speakers — is one of the hardest things to master.
Vocabulary lists containing idiomatic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The most dominant winner was Idiomatic in the older dirt female category.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2024
Idiomatic and Randomized ran one-two the entire race with Randomized leading until the stretch.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2023
Idiomatic American English varies so much from place to place, culture to culture that nuances are lost and clarity is sacrificed for the sake of accessibility.
From Fox News • Jul. 16, 2020
Idiomatic words and expressions are highlighted and examined throughout: “stud muffin,” “baseball dad” and “dilly-dallying.”
From Washington Post • May 1, 2019
"Idiomatic is very good—excellent, in fact," replied Miss Cragge, with a pleasantry that barely missed being morose.
From The Adventures of a Widow A Novel by Fawcett, Edgar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
