Definition of DIALECTS (original) (raw)
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
c
: a variety of a language used by the members of a group
such dialects as politics and advertising—
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
Synonyms
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Suffice to say that considering the setting and the dialect, Eggers is promising another deep dive into a muddy, costumed and violent time period consistent with his oeuvre, which has earned him a loyal film following. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2025 In the interview, Jancsó said AI was used to tweak certain parts of the Hungarian dialect in the movie used by stars Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones—as well as in the creation of architectural drawings that appeared near the conclusion of the film. —Tim Lammers, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025 Named Pa Gomo, which means ‘on the mountain’ in the South African dialect called Shana, this 10,000-square-foot home nestled at the base of Hawn Mountain blends art and nature. —Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 15 Jan. 2025 Although challenges remain, future systems trained on greater amounts of non-English data could be capable of discerning subtle differences between dialects and understanding the meaning and cultural context of slang or Internet memes. —Anne Neuberger, Foreign Affairs, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for dialect 
Word History
Etymology
Middle French dialecte, from Latin dialectus, from Greek dialektos conversation, dialect, from dialegesthai to converse — more at dialogue
First Known Use
1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of dialect was in 1566
Dictionary Entries Near dialect
Cite this Entry
“Dialect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 1 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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