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Synonyms

body language

American  

noun

  1. nonverbal, usually unconscious, communication through the use of postures, gestures, facial expressions, and the like.

body language British  

noun

  1. the nonverbal imparting of information by means of conscious or subconscious bodily gestures, posture, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of body language

First recorded in 1925–30

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:

Dogs normally interpret people using many signals at once, including facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and scent.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Still, Bardella's body language at Wednesday's campaign event in the north-west was telling.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

But my face and body language told a different story.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

Some of the changes in Trump’s body language were the result of sheer fatigue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Kat said later that this was body language for how Salim thought his mother was crazy.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

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.

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