Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Malayalam

American  
[mal-uh-yah-luhm] / ˌmæl əˈjɑ ləm /

noun

  1. a Dravidian language spoken in extreme southwestern India.


Malayalam British  
/ ˌmælɪˈɑːləm /

noun

  1. a language of SW India, belonging to the Dravidian family and closely related to Tamil: the state language of Kerala

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What is Malayalam? Malayalam is a language spoken in the southwest of India, particularly in the state of Kerala. The word Malayalam can also be used as an adjective to describe the culture of the people who speak this language.

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.

See Examples For:

One example is Kiliye Kiliye, a 1983 Malayalam song that recently found new life in the film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra.

From BBC Jun. 6, 2026

But unlike the steady stream of content from other regional cinema - such as Malayalam films from Kerala - Marathi films still emerge in bursts.

From BBC May 28, 2025

In 2013, a Malayalam TV channel tracked down Rosy's daughter Padma, who was living in financial strain somewhere in Tamil Nadu.

From BBC May 17, 2025

While the film, which is a remake of the hit Malayalam movie The Great Indian Kitchen, has sparked conversation - and pushback, especially from men on social media - its themes resonate with hard data.

From BBC Mar. 7, 2025

In his speeches he managed a clever mix of pertinent local issues and grand Maoist rhetoric, which sounded even grander in Malayalam.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training