vernacular

[ ver-nak-yuh-ler, vuh-nak- ]

/ vərˈnæk yə lər, vəˈnæk- /

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See synonyms for vernacular on Thesaurus.com

adjective

(of language) native to a place (opposed to literary).

expressed or written in the native language of a place, as literary works: a vernacular poem.

using such a language: a vernacular speaker.

of or relating to such a language.

using plain, everyday, ordinary language.

of, relating to, or characteristic of architectural vernacular.

noting or pertaining to the common name for a plant or animal.

Obsolete. (of a disease) endemic.

noun

the native speech or language of a place.

the language or vocabulary peculiar to a class or profession.

a vernacular word or expression.

the plain variety of language in everyday use by ordinary people.

the common name of an animal or plant as distinguished from its Latin scientific name.

a style of architecture exemplifying the commonest techniques, decorative features, and materials of a particular historical period, region, or group of people.

any medium or mode of expression that reflects popular taste or local styles.

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Origin of vernacular

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin vernācul(us), “household, domestic, native” (apparently adjective use of vernāculus, diminutive of verna “slave born in the master's household”; further origin uncertain) + -ar¹

synonym study for vernacular

9, 10. See language.

OTHER WORDS FROM vernacular

ver·nac·u·lar·ly, adverbnon·ver·nac·u·lar, adjective

Words nearby vernacular

Vermonter, vermouth, vermouth cassis, Vern, Verna, vernacular, vernacularism, vernacularize, vernal, vernal equinox, vernal grass

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use vernacular in a sentence

A millennial who came to South Korea 10 years ago, she has adapted her accent and vernacular to sound like a local, including using the ubiquitous English loanwords that are never used in North Korea.
The North Koreans Who Escape Back Home|Fiona Zublin|October 14, 2020|Ozy
The concept in science is a bit different than the everyday vernacular.
How Machine Learning Made Hops-Free Hoppy Beer (and Other SynBio Wonders) Possible|Shelly Fan|October 6, 2020|Singularity Hub
Such wide-reaching adoption is possible because language models, the engines behind natural language processing, can be trained to learn a specific vernacular.
From support function to growth engine: The future of AI and customer service|Jason Sparapani|September 17, 2020|MIT Technology Review
These companies have been in a four-year race to gather data in local languages, develop chatbots and voice recognition tools, and help businesses communicate with customers in their own vernacular.
Millions of Indians are getting connected to an internet they can’t use|Nicolás Rivero|September 10, 2020|Quartz

Seeing the opportunity to cash in on TikTok’s audience, vernacular language social network platform ShareChat launched Moj, entertainment company Zee5 released HiPi, and music-streaming giant Gaana created HotShots.
Indian TikTok copycats are hardly a match for the real deal|Ananya Bhattacharya|August 20, 2020|Quartz
And every word has a definition, even if the phrase is viewed as one way in the vernacular.
MH370: How Do Insurers Put a Price on Life?|Daniel Gross|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is not, as Hoeke claimed, “slang” pulled from American hip-hop vernacular and wittily included in her magazine.
The Rihanna Racism Storm|Ayana Byrd|December 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It was amusing, it was in my vernacular, and the atmosphere held great emotional resonance for me.
Woody Allen's Favorite Books|FiveBooks|May 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST
For me, no friend represents this new vernacular of modern manhood more than David Black.
A Man Who Could Be Me|Bruce Feiler|April 27, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Anytime boys, even girls, use femininity as a vernacular people are judged harshly.
The Queen of Queens|Rachel Syme|March 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Acquinoshinee, or United People, the vernacular name of the Iroquois for their confederacy.
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft
One of the maxims of Greek business life, translated into the American vernacular, is 'Put out the other fellow's eye.'
The Old World in the New|Edward Alsworth Ross
Sometimes we trod on "duck boards" as the Americans call them, or "bath mats" in the Britisher's vernacular, laid end to end.
The Glory of The Coming|Irvin S. Cobb
There are two classes of these: those to whom it is vernacular, and those who learn it in addition to their own language.
Introduction to the Science of Sociology|Robert E. Park
Do you agree with the prediction that within a century English will be the vernacular of a quarter of the people of the world?
Introduction to the Science of Sociology|Robert E. Park

British Dictionary definitions for vernacular

vernacular

/ (vəˈnækjʊlə) /

noun

the vernacular the commonly spoken language or dialect of a particular people or place

a local style of architecture, in which ordinary houses are builtthis architect has re-created a true English vernacular

adjective

relating to, using, or in the vernacular

designating or relating to the common name of an animal or plant

built in the local style of ordinary houses, rather than a grand architectural style

Derived forms of vernacular

vernacularly, adverb

Word Origin for vernacular

C17: from Latin vernāculus belonging to a household slave, from verna household slave

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

vernacular

Origin of vernacular

synonym study for vernacular

OTHER WORDS FROM vernacular

Words nearby vernacular

Words related to vernacular

How to use vernacular in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vernacular

Derived forms of vernacular

Word Origin for vernacular