lingo
noun
lin·go
ˈliŋ-(ˌ)gō 
plural lingos or lingoes
: strange or incomprehensible language or speech: such as
a
: a foreign language
It can be hard to travel in a foreign country if you don't speak the lingo.
b
: the special vocabulary of a particular field of interest
The book has a lot of computer lingo.
c
: language characteristic of an individual
He has his own lingo … and at the top of each shift, he delivers a monologue that sets the table for his show.—
Tim Sullivan
Tim SullivanExamples of lingo in a Sentence
It can be hard to travel in a foreign country if you don't speak the lingo.
The book has a lot of computer lingo that I don't understand.
Recent Examples on the Web
Yin speaks the language, not just Chinese, but the business and cultural lingo.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
News of the White House’s softening stance prompted Wall Street to claw back about half of Friday’s losses—a narrative that is becoming par for the course (to leverage the lingo of the president’s favorite pastime).
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
The staff is brisk, used to locals ordering with a shorthand as precise as Philly cheesesteak lingo, and the souvlaki itself is unlike anywhere else in Athens—simple, spicy, smoky, and closer to kebab than the standard style.
—Katherine Whittaker, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2025
Even the songs that aren’t about Kelce are weighed down by an obsession with internet culture, luxury brands, and lingo from 2018.
—Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lingo
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Denni Hu, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
News of the White House’s softening stance prompted Wall Street to claw back about half of Friday’s losses—a narrative that is becoming par for the course (to leverage the lingo of the president’s favorite pastime).
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
The staff is brisk, used to locals ordering with a shorthand as precise as Philly cheesesteak lingo, and the souvlaki itself is unlike anywhere else in Athens—simple, spicy, smoky, and closer to kebab than the standard style.
—Katherine Whittaker, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2025
Even the songs that aren’t about Kelce are weighed down by an obsession with internet culture, luxury brands, and lingo from 2018.
—Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lingo
Cite this Entry
“Lingo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lingo. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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