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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.

The trick is knowing your cat, their body language and when they have had enough, she added.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

He captured Joe Jackson in every sense, he says, from “the look and his body language and even the way he spoke.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

She punched the air at the conclusion, and even as she missed out on a medal she had the body language of someone pleased to have brought her best to the Olympic stage.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

The 52-year-old had his head in his hands when the final whistle went -- his body language as negative as the horrendous weather which had left puddles all over the pitch.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

Observing and acting upon cues from body language, dress, and manner of speaking.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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.