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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.

He was there to learn the body language component—how to hold the mic as he moves, how to maintain posture.

From The Wall Street Journal

Beyoncé didn't actually say any of these words as she won country album of the year in February, but her facial expression and body language conveyed her understandable shock.

From BBC

His body language around the England camp is said to have remained positive.

From BBC

We could only read the body language, rather than hear the words, but Owen Farrell and Harvey Skinner's post-match chat looked short of festive goodwill.

From BBC

He said it also made dogs appear more aggressive to other dogs because they "communicate through body language" often using their ears and tails.

From BBC

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.