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language

noun lan·guage \ˈlaŋ-gwij, -wij\

: the system of words or signs that people use to express thoughts and feelings to each other

: any one of the systems of human language that are used and understood by a particular group of people

: words of a particular kind

Full Definition of LANGUAGE

1
a :  the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community
b (1) :  audible, articulate, meaningful sound as produced by the action of the vocal organs (2) :  a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meanings (3) :  the suggestion by objects, actions, or conditions of associated ideas or feelings <language in their very gesture — Shakespeare> (4) :  the means by which animals communicate (5) :  a formal system of signs and symbols (as FORTRAN or a calculus in logic) including rules for the formation and transformation of admissible expressions (6) :  machine language 1
2
a :  form or manner of verbal expression; specifically :  style
b :  the vocabulary and phraseology belonging to an art or a department of knowledge
c :  profanity
3
:  the study of language especially as a school subject
4
:  specific words especially in a law or regulation
language table
See language defined for English-language learners
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Origin of LANGUAGE

Middle English, from Anglo-French langage, from lange, langue tongue, language, from Latin lingua — more at tongue
First Known Use: 14th century

Related to LANGUAGE

Synonyms
lingo, mother tongue, speech, tongue, vocabulary

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

Rhymes with LANGUAGE

slanguage
LANGUAGE Defined for Kids

language

noun lan·guage \ˈlaŋ-gwij\

Definition of LANGUAGE for Kids

1
:  the words and expressions used and understood by a large group of people <the English language>
2
:  spoken or written words of a particular kind <She used simple and clear language.>
3
:  a means of expressing ideas or feelings <sign language>
4
:  a formal system of signs and symbols that is used to carry information <a computer language>
5
:  the special words used by a certain group or in a certain field <the language of science>
6
:  the study of languages

Learn More About LANGUAGE

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44 ENTRIES FOUND:
  1. language
  2. language arts
  3. American language
  4. American Sign Language
  5. artificial language
  6. assembler language
  7. assembly language
  8. auxiliary language
  9. body language
  10. contact language
  11. creolized language
  12. culture language
  13. distance language
  14. Dravidian language
  15. gesture language
  16. hand language
  17. hypertext markup language
  18. international auxiliary language
  19. international language
  20. living language
  21. machine language
  22. markup language
  23. monosyllabic language
  24. natural language
  25. object language
  26. ordinary-language philosophy
  27. physical language
  28. plain language
  29. programming language
  30. science of language
Next Word in the Dictionary: language artsPrevious Word in the Dictionary: lang syne All Words Near: language
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