1
a
: the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community
studied the French language
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
the language of mathematics
(3)
: the suggestion by objects, actions, or conditions of associated ideas or feelings
language in their very gesture—William Shakespeare
(4)
: the means by which animals communicate
the language of birds
(5)
: a formal system of signs and symbols (such as FORTRAN or a calculus in logic) including rules for the formation and transformation of admissible expressions
(6)
2
a
: form or manner of verbal expression
b
: the vocabulary and phraseology belonging to an art or a department of knowledge
the language of diplomacy
medical language
c
: profanity
shouldn't of blamed the fellers if they'd cut loose with some language—Ring Lardner
3
: the study of language especially as a school subject
earned a grade of B in language
4
: specific words especially in a law or regulation
The police were diligent in enforcing the language of the law.
Cite this Entry
“Language.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/language. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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