modern language

American  

noun

1. one of the literary languages currently in use in Europe, as French, Spanish, or German, treated as a departmental course of study in a school, college, or university.

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modern language British  

noun

1. any of the languages spoken in present-day Europe, with the exception of English

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Etymology

Origin of modern language

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

A similar episode occurred at the Modern Language Association.

From Salon

The university added all but four of its modern language courses had fewer than 10 students on them and they were currently "unsustainable".

From BBC

“We want to speak to young people with a modern language,” Mr. Cozzoli said, “and the park unites the message of the classical past with the modern message of skateboarding.”

From New York Times

Netflix is adept at the modern language of television which steers us through the story.

From BBC

She’s translating the words of “Hound Dog” that were really kind of edgy and offensive and street and sexual, into a modern language so that a younger audience can understand what it was at that time.

From Los Angeles Times