Definitions for language
ˈlæŋ gwɪdʒlan·guage

Princeton's WordNet(2.81 / 47 votes)Rate this definition:

1. language, linguistic communicationnoun

   a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

   "he taught foreign languages"; "the language introduced is standard throughout the text"; "the speed with which a program can be executed depends on the language in which it is written"

2. speech, speech communication, spoken communication, spoken language, language, voice communication, oral communicationnoun

   (language) communication by word of mouth

   "his speech was garbled"; "he uttered harsh language"; "he recorded the spoken language of the streets"

3. lyric, words, languagenoun

   the text of a popular song or musical-comedy number

   "his compositions always started with the lyrics"; "he wrote both words and music"; "the song uses colloquial language"

4. linguistic process, languagenoun

   the cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding linguistic communication

   "he didn't have the language to express his feelings"

5. language, speechnoun

   the mental faculty or power of vocal communication

   "language sets homo sapiens apart from all other animals"

6. terminology, nomenclature, languagenoun

   a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline

   "legal terminology"; "biological nomenclature"; "the language of sociology"

GCIDE(3.47 / 15 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Languagenoun

   Any system of symbols created for the purpose of communicating ideas, emotions, commands, etc., between sentient agents.

2. Languagenoun

   Specifically: (computers) Any set of symbols and the rules for combining them which are used to specify to a computer the actions that it is to take; also referred to as a computer lanugage or programming language; as, JAVA is a new and flexible high-level language which has achieved popularity very rapidly.

Wiktionary(2.75 / 12 votes)Rate this definition:

1. languagenoun

   A form of communication using words either spoken or gestured with the hands and structured with grammar, often with a writing system.

2. languagenoun

   The ability to communicate using words.

   the gift of language

3. languagenoun

   Nonverbal communication.

   body language

4. languagenoun

   A computer language.

5. languagenoun

   The vocabulary and usage used in a particular specialist field.

   legal language

6. languagenoun

   The particular words used in speech or a passage of text.

7. languagenoun

   Profanity.

8. languagenoun

   Words, written or spoken, in a specific sequence that a person uses to describe, to a another person, the type of thoughts in their mind.

9. languageverb

   To communicate by language; to express in language.

   Others were languaged in such doubtful expressions that they have a double sense. uE0004411uE001 Fuller.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Languagenoun

   Etymology: language, French; lingua, Latin.

   1. Human speech.

   We may define language, if we consider it more materially, to be letters, forming and producing words and sentences; but if we consider it according to the design thereof, then language is apt signs for communication of thoughts. William Holder.

   2. The tongue of one nation as distinct from others.

   O! good my lord, no Latin;
   I am not such a truant since my coming,
   As not to know the language I have liv’d in. William Shakespeare.

   He not from Rome alone, but Greece,
   Like Jason, brought the golden fleece;
   To him that language, though to none
   Of th’ others, as his own was known. John Denham.

   3. Stile; manner of expression.

   Though his language should not be refin’d,
   It must not be obscure and impudent. Wentworth Dillon.

   Others for language all their care express,
   And value books, as women, men, for dress:
   Their praise is still —— the stile is excellent;
   The sense, they humbly take upon content. Alexander Pope.

Webster Dictionary(3.11 / 9 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Languagenoun

   any means of conveying or communicating ideas; specifically, human speech; the expression of ideas by the voice; sounds, expressive of thought, articulated by the organs of the throat and mouth

2. Languagenoun

   the expression of ideas by writing, or any other instrumentality

3. Languagenoun

   the forms of speech, or the methods of expressing ideas, peculiar to a particular nation

4. Languagenoun

   the characteristic mode of arranging words, peculiar to an individual speaker or writer; manner of expression; style

5. Languagenoun

   the inarticulate sounds by which animals inferior to man express their feelings or their wants

6. Languagenoun

   the suggestion, by objects, actions, or conditions, of ideas associated therewith; as, the language of flowers

7. Languagenoun

   the vocabulary and phraseology belonging to an art or department of knowledge; as, medical language; the language of chemistry or theology

8. Languagenoun

   a race, as distinguished by its speech

9. Languageverb

   to communicate by language; to express in language

10. Etymology: [OE. langage, F. langage, fr. L. lingua the tongue, hence speech, language; akin to E. tongue. See Tongue, cf. Lingual.]

Freebase(3.17 / 6 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Language

   the type of which all languages are instances

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(2.50 / 6 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Language

   lang′gwāj, n. that which is spoken by the tongue: human speech: speech peculiar to a nation: style or expression peculiar to an individual: diction: any manner of expressing thought.—v.t. to express in language.—adjs. Lang′uaged, skilled in language; Lang′uageless (Shak.), speechless, silent; Lang′ued (her.), furnished with a tongue.—Dead language, one no longer spoken, as opp. to Living language, one still spoken; Flash language (see Flash). [Fr. langage—langue—L. lingua (old form dingua), the tongue, akin to L. lingēre, Gr. leichein.]

The Roycroft Dictionary(2.20 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. language

   The tool of the mind.

U.S. National Library of Medicine(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Language

   A verbal or nonverbal means of communicating ideas or feelings.

Editors Contribution(2.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. language

   A form of communication we intuitively feel, know and understand as intelligent animals and human beings.

   We have various forms of language including speech, written and body language.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on November 5, 2020  

2. ---

   language

   A systematic act, fact and ability to communicate by the use of words, definitions, expression, energy, structure, creativity, rules, sounds, voices, symbols, speech, typing, knowing, understanding or instructions.

   Language differs in each country yet people can communicate even if they do not speak or know a language.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on January 12, 2020  

3. ---

   language

   The act, fact and ability to communicate using words.

   We all know what the language feels like as you can see it within a person as they look at you.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on January 18, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Auditory Communication
   • Communication
   • Faculty
   • Higher Cognitive Process
   • Language
   • Text
   • Word

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'language' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #472

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'language' in Written Corpus Frequency: #974

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'language' in Nouns Frequency: #150

Anagrams for language »

1. ganguela

How to pronounce language?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say language in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of language in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of language in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of language in a Sentence

1. Henry James:

   Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language.

2. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson:

   That's not the kind of issue you want bottled up in committee, so I'm glad it ultimately got to the floor for a vote and I was glad to encourage that, now, in hindsight, sure, I wish we all knew 45 days ago what we know today. We could have been more precise in the language and I would have made my call for a bill that precisely mirrors the federal bill earlier.

3. Philip Roth:

   My God! The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn't just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at! Where you've got to duck for your life and aim to kill! Words aren't only bombs and bullets -- no, they're little gifts, containing meanings!

4. Joe Biden:

   In both clear language and in code, this President has fanned the flames of white supremacy in this nation.

5. Carol Padden:

   That's the funny part -- the two of them together, we shouldn't be taking sign language so seriously.

Popularity rank by frequency of use