Synonyms

dialectal

American

[dahy-uh-lek-tl] / ˌdaɪ əˈlɛk tl /

adjective

of a dialect.
characteristic of a dialect.

Commonly Confused

In linguistics dialectal, not dialectical, is the term more commonly used to denote regional or social language variation: Dialectal variation is more marked in the South than elsewhere in the United States. In general writing either term may be found.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of dialectal

First recorded in 1825–35; dialect + -al ¹

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 Middle English was pre-eminently the Dialectal period of the language.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 6 "English Language" to "Epsom Salts" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023