dialogue

American  

[dahy-uh-lawg, -log] / ˈdaɪ əˌlɔg, -ˌlɒg /

Or dialog

noun

1. conversation between two or more persons.

2. the conversation between characters in a novel, drama, etc.

3. an exchange of ideas or opinions on a particular issue, especially a political or religious issue, with a view to reaching an amicable agreement or settlement.

4. a literary work in the form of a conversation.

   a dialogue of Plato.

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verb (used without object)

dialogued, dialoguing

1. to carry on a dialogue; converse.

2. to discuss areas of disagreement frankly in order to resolve them.

verb (used with object)

dialogued, dialoguing

1. to put into the form of a dialogue.

dialogue British  

/ ˈdaɪəˌlɒɡ, ˌdaɪəˈlɒdʒɪk /

noun

1. conversation between two or more people

2. an exchange of opinions on a particular subject; discussion

3. the lines spoken by characters in drama or fiction

4. a particular passage of conversation in a literary or dramatic work

5. a literary composition in the form of a dialogue

6. a political discussion between representatives of two nations or groups

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verb

1. (tr) to put into the form of a dialogue

2. (intr) to take part in a dialogue; converse

Other Word Forms

• dialogic
  adjective
• dialoguer
  noun
• self-dialog
  noun
• self-dialogue
  noun
• underdialogue
  noun

Etymology

Origin of dialogue

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French dïalogue, Latin dialogus, from Greek diálogos; equivalent to dia- + -logue

Explanation

If you land a role in a local play, you will probably have to memorize several lines of dialogue. If you disagree with how that play is being produced, you may want to open up a dialogue with the director. Dialogue can refer to spoken lines in a dramatic performance such as a play, a film, or a television show. It is also any conversation between two or more people. On the written page, dialogue between characters is usually enclosed by quotation marks. When persons representing different political parties or different nations are said to engage in a dialogue, it means they are probably negotiating something of importance.

Example Sentences

“We are seeing those accounts getting the traction you would expect from high-profile individuals,” said Bret Schafer, a senior director at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a think tank that is tracking pro-Iran activity online.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

"The US increasingly sees these groups as sophisticated transnational criminal organizations with regional reach," said Rebecca Bill Chavez, president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

“The pact has failed,” said Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos Espiñeira, an economist at the Christian Center for Reflection and Dialogue in Havana.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Dialogue between the group of players - who are represented by former WTA chairman and chief executive Larry Scott - and the Grand Slam powerbrokers began almost a year ago.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

Galileo was still going over the measurements of parallax for the nova of 1572 in his Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems of 1632.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• communication
• conference
• conversation
• discourse
• discussion
• exchange