dialect
noun
di·a·lect
ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt 
often attributive
1
linguistics
a
: a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from other regional varieties and constituting together with them a single language
the Doric dialect of ancient Greek
a dialect of Chinese spoken in Hong Kong
b
: one of two or more cognate (see cognate entry 1 sense 3a) languages
French and Italian are Romance dialects
c
: a variety of a language used by the members of a group
such dialects as politics and advertising—
Philip Howard
Philip Howard
d
: a variety of language whose identity is fixed by a factor other than geography (such as social class)
spoke a rough peasant dialect
f
: a version of a computer programming language
2
: manner or means of expressing oneself : phraseology
Examples of dialect in a Sentence
They speak a southern dialect of French.
The author uses dialect in his writing.
The play was hard to understand when the characters spoke in dialect.
Recent Examples on the Web
In it, Italian peasants Matteo and Natale discuss this same cosmic occurrence in the rustic Paduan dialect of the time.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 July 2025
Around the table, his family speak the local dialect of the Veneto region.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Twain dared to buck the expectations of critics by using the colloquial dialect and slang of those with little education.
—Kyra Davis Lurie
june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
Applications are now open to educators worldwide currently teaching kindergarten through high school in a public, private or charter school, who speak Spanish, Portuguese, English or any native dialect.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dialect
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Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 July 2025
Around the table, his family speak the local dialect of the Veneto region.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Twain dared to buck the expectations of critics by using the colloquial dialect and slang of those with little education.
—Kyra Davis Lurie
june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
Applications are now open to educators worldwide currently teaching kindergarten through high school in a public, private or charter school, who speak Spanish, Portuguese, English or any native dialect.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dialect
Cite this Entry
“Dialect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dialect
noun
di·a·lect
ˈdī-ə-ˌlekt
1
: a regional variety of a language differing from the standard language
2
: a variety of a language used by the members of a particular group or class
peasant dialect
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