idiomatic

American  

[id-ee-uh-mat-ik] / ˌɪd i əˈmæt ɪk /

Also idiomatical

adjective

1. peculiar to or characteristic of a particular language or dialect.

   idiomatic French.

2. containing or using many idioms.

3. having a distinct style or character, especially in the arts.

   idiomatic writing; an idiomatic composer.

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Other Word Forms

• idiomatically adverb
• idiomaticalness noun
• idiomaticity noun
• nonidiomatic adjective
• nonidiomatical adjective
• nonidiomatically adverb
• nonidiomaticalness noun
• unidiomatic adjective
• unidiomatically adverb

Etymology

Origin of idiomatic

1705–15; < Late Greek idiōmatikós, equivalent to idiōmat- (stem of idíōma ) idiom + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

Headlined by conductor Marco Armiliato, soprano Lisette Oropesa as the heroine Elvira and tenor Lawrence Brownlee as her beloved Arturo, this was a musically idiomatic and expressive traversal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

Fairy tales, idiomatic expressions, warrior tales all amplified human fear, and led to the systematic extermination of wolves across Britain and Europe.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2023

This is the version, in this idiomatic translation from the French by Alison L. Strayer, that was not tweaked in postproduction.

From New York Times • Sep. 19, 2022

That's an idiomatic, not a literal, translation of course, but don't you just love that image?

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2022

“It’s an idiomatic piece of the language. That means—” “I know what an idiom is,” Wilem interrupted.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss