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

He admitted in 2024 that his grasp on the dialect was “horrible.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

Characters speak with a more casual, modern dialect.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

He added: "It's the one that we suffer from the most - the social markers, the local dialect, who you are, and where you should be in life, because of how you speak."

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

The choral writing, in Sardinian dialect, reflects the traditional canto a tenore, giving it an earthy, ritualistic flavor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

I also refused to stay at home when Char traveled, and learned every language and dialect that came our way.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

In a post on Facebook, opposition MP Dennis Tan hailed dialects as "the living, breathing repositories of our forefathers' journeys, customs, and identity".

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

Ms. Fridland cites scholars who suggest its origins can be found in the nonrhotic West African dialects brought to the U.S. by enslaved people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

Because the American colonies drew together speakers of so many different English dialects and European languages, the colonists found themselves drawn to an amalgamated tongue, one which would make collaboration in their new environment possible.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

Our words are different because the Philippines has so many dialects.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio

Related Words

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