Malayalam

American

[mal-uh-yah-luhm] / ˌmæl əˈyɑ ləm /

noun

a Dravidian language spoken in extreme southwestern India.

Malayalam British

/ ˌmælɪˈɑːləm /

noun

a language of SW India, belonging to the Dravidian family and closely related to Tamil: the state language of Kerala

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What is Malayalam? Malayalam is a language spoken in the southwest of India, particularly in the state of Kerala. The word Malayalam can also be used as an adjective to describe the culture of the people who speak this language.

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.

In 2013, a Malayalam TV channel tracked down Rosy's daughter Padma, who was living in financial strain somewhere in Tamil Nadu.

From BBC • May 17, 2025

Even before its release, the film made headlines over its budget - huge for the relatively understated Malayalam film industry - and star-studded promotions.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2025

The movie, directed by another Malayalam star Prithviraj, was a big hit and got mostly positive reviews.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2025

In All We Imagine As Light, a film made in the Hindi, Marathi and Malayalam languages, three migrant women in Mumbai navigate empathy, resilience and human connection.

From BBC • Dec. 28, 2024

Like in Malayalam, the last syllable of one word attached itself to the first syllable of the next.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

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