Definition of 'language'
Word forms: plural languages
1. countable noun
A language is a system of
communication which consists of a set of sounds and written symbols which are used by the people
of a particular country or region for
talking or writing.
2. uncountable noun
Language is the use of a system of communication which consists of a set of sounds or written
symbols.
3. uncountable noun
You can
refer to the words used in
connection with a particular subject as the language of that subject.
4. uncountable noun [adjective NOUN]
5. uncountable noun
The language of a piece of writing or speech is the style in which it is written or spoken.
6. variable noun
You can use language to refer to various means of communication involving recognizable symbols, non-verbal
sounds, or actions.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
language
Word Frequency
language in British English
noun
1.
a system for the
expression of thoughts,
feelings, etc, by the use of spoken sounds or
conventional
symbols
2.
the
faculty for the use of such systems, which is a
distinguishing characteristic of humans as
compared with other animals
4.
the language of love
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C13: from Old French langage, ultimately from Latin lingua tongue
Word Frequency
language in American English
noun
1.
a.
human speech
c.
a system of
vocal sounds and
combinations of such sounds to which
meaning is
attributed, used for the expression or communication of thoughts and feelings
d.
the written
representation of such a system
2.
b.
a
special set of symbols, letters,
numerals, rules, etc. used for the
transmission of information, as in a computer
3.
all the vocal sounds, words, and ways of
combining them common to a particular nation,
tribe, or other speech
community
the French language
4.
the particular form or manner of
selecting and combining words characteristic of a person, group, or
profession; form or style of expression in words
the language of teenagers
5.
the study of language in general or of some particular language or languages;
linguistics
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME < OFr langage < langue, tongue < L lingua, tongue, language, altered (by assoc. with lingere, to lick) < OL dingua < IE *dṇhwa > OE tunge,
tongueExamples of 'language' in a sentence
language
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
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Quotations
Language is the
dress of thoughtLives of the English Poets: Cowley
After all, when you
come right down to it, how many people speak the same language
even when they speak the same language?The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz
Languages are the
pedigrees of nations
We've come intil a gey
queer time
Whan scrievin Scots is near a crime
"There's no-one speaks like that", they fleer
But wha the deil spoke like King Lear?Epistle to John Guthrie
Whan scrievin Scots is near a crime
"There's no-one speaks like that", they fleer
But wha the deil spoke like King Lear?Epistle to John Guthrie
One does not
inhabit a country; one inhabits a language. That is our country, our
fatherland - and no otherAnathemas and Admirations
Everything can change, but not the language that we carry
inside us, like a world more
exclusive and
final than one's mother's
wombBy Way of an Autobiography
In language, the
ignorant have
prescribed laws to the
learnedMaxims
Political language... is designed to make
lies sound
truthful and
murder
respectable, and to give an
appearance of solidity to
pure
windShooting an Elephant
Trends of
language
View usage for:
In other languages
language
British English: language
/ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/ NOUN
A language is a system of sounds and written symbols used by the people of a particular country, area, or tribe to communicate with each other.
...a foreign language.
- American English: language
- Arabic: لُغَةٌ
- Brazilian Portuguese: língua
- Chinese: 语言
- Croatian: jezik
- Czech: jazyk řeč
- Danish: sprog
- Dutch: taal
- European Spanish: idioma
- Finnish: kieli puhuttu
- French: langue langage
- German: Sprache
- Greek: γλώσσα ομιλία
- Italian: linguaggio
- Japanese: 言葉
- Korean: 언어
- Norwegian: språk
- Polish: język mowa
- European Portuguese: língua
- Romanian: limbă
- Russian: язык система звуков и букв
- Latin American Spanish: lenguaje
- Swedish: språk
- Thai: ภาษา
- Turkish: dil lisan
- Ukrainian: мова
- Vietnamese: ngôn ngữ
Nearby words of
language
Related terms of
language
Source
Definition of language from the
Collins English Dictionary
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It used to be a huge iron mine.
stile or style?
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manner or manor?
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you're or your?
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Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
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manner or manor?
Which version is correct?
oar or ore?
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oar
ore
He was using the other as a rudder.
stalk or stork?
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muscles or mussels?
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mussels
muscles
Add the and put the lid on.
bough or bow?
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bow
bough
I gave a theatrical and waved.
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