dialect

American  

[dahy-uh-lekt] / ˈdaɪ əˌlɛkt /

noun

dialects plural

1. Linguistics. a variety of a language that is distinguished from other varieties of the same language by features of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, and by its use by a group of speakers who are set off from others geographically or socially.

2. a provincial, rural, or socially distinct variety of a language that differs from the standard language, especially when considered as substandard.

   Synonyms:

   patois, idiom

3. a special variety of a language.

   The literary dialect is usually taken as the standard language.

4. a language considered as one of a group that have a common ancestor.

   Persian, Latin, and English are Indo-European dialects.

5. jargon or cant.

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dialect British  

/ ˈdaɪəˌlɛkt /

noun

1. 1. a form of a language spoken in a particular geographical area or by members of a particular social class or occupational group, distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation

   2. a form of a language that is considered inferior

      the farmer spoke dialect and was despised by the merchants

   3. ( as modifier )

      a dialect word

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Synonym Usage

See language.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subdialect
  noun
• dialectal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dialects
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dialect

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin dialectus, from Greek diálektos “discourse, language, dialect,” equivalent to dialég(esthai) “to converse” ( dia- “through, between” + légein “to speak”) + -tos verbal adjective suffix; see origin at dia-

Explanation

If the language you speak in your region is different in vocabulary, grammar and accent than the main form of the language, you speak a dialect. If your cousin in rural Arkansas can't understand your jokes, blame it on differences in dialect. Both an accent and a dialect contain variations in pronunciation from the standard form of a language. When you speak a dialect, however, you also use different words and grammar, sometimes to such a degree that speakers of the dialect and the standard form of the language have a hard time understanding each other.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dialect dialects

Characters speak with a more casual, modern dialect.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

Faizi said "tasks have been divided between men and women" for generations in the Parun Valley, where residents speak their own dialect.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Street signs are presented in both Italian and German, but the main language is a German dialect.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

He chose the name "Ossick Lass," using local dialect meaning "Urswick girl."

From Science Daily ● May 20, 2026

The woman was glad to stop, she told Miyax in the Upick dialect, as she climbed from the sled.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

The film has inadvertently sparked a debate over the government's long-standing push for Chinese Singaporeans to speak Mandarin instead of other languages, or what they call dialects, from China.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

It's not just the dialects that are disappearing, but also the traditions that came with them.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

But Twain’s greatest discovery was his gloriously unshackled literary style, which was inspired by local dialects and liberated from European refinements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

At the back of the arena, a teleprompter keeps her on track, too - which is fair enough, when her album incorporates 14 different languages and dialects.

From BBC ● May 6, 2026

Young Griff spoke the Common Tongue as if he had been bom to it, and was fluent in High Valyrian, the low dialects of Pentos, Tyrosh, Myr, and Lys, and the trade talk of sailors.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• accent
• idiom
• jargon
• language
• lingo
• patois
• pronunciation
• slang
• terminology
• tongue
• vernacular
• vocabulary