Definitions for language
ˈlæŋ gwɪdʒlan·guage

Princeton's WordNet(2.78 / 45 votes)Rate this definition:

1. language, linguistic communication(noun)

   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 communication(noun)

   (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, language(noun)

   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, language(noun)

   the cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding linguistic communication

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

5. language, speech(noun)

   the mental faculty or power of vocal communication

   "language sets homo sapiens apart from all other animals"

6. terminology, nomenclature, language(noun)

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

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

GCIDE(3.62 / 13 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Language(n.)

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

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

2. Language(n.)

   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.

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

Wiktionary(2.82 / 11 votes)Rate this definition:

1. language(Noun)

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

2. language(Noun)

   The ability to communicate using words.

   the gift of language

3. language(Noun)

   Nonverbal communication.

   body language

4. language(Noun)

   A computer language.

5. language(Noun)

   The vocabulary and usage used in a particular specialist field.

   legal language

6. language(Noun)

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

7. language(Noun)

   Profanity.

8. language(Noun)

   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. language(Verb)

   To communicate by language; to express in language.

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

Webster Dictionary(3.25 / 8 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Language(noun)

   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

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

2. Language(noun)

   the expression of ideas by writing, or any other instrumentality

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

3. Language(noun)

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

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

4. Language(noun)

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

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

5. Language(noun)

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

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

6. Language(noun)

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

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

7. Language(noun)

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

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

8. Language(noun)

   a race, as distinguished by its speech

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

9. Language(verb)

   to communicate by language; to express in language

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

Freebase(3.40 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Language

   the type of which all languages are instances

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(2.60 / 5 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(2.25 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. language

   The tool of the mind.

U.S. National Library of Medicine(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Language

   A verbal or nonverbal means of communicating ideas or feelings.

Editors Contribution(3.00 / 1 vote)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  

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

How to pronounce language?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

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. Adrienne Rich:

   We might hypothetically possess ourselves of every technological resource on the North American continent, but as long as our language is inadequate, our vision remains formless, our thinking and feeling are still running in the old cycles, our process may be revolutionary but not transformative.

2. Vincent Price:

   Suddenly in the '50s, a whole new group of actors came out: Marlon Brando, James Dean and Paul Newman, who were very moody and realistic. So actors like myself and Basil Rathbone and so on didn't really fit into those realistic dramas and we began to do costume pictures. This was really the only place we could go on working if we wanted to survive as actors. Most of the things of my later career have been costume pictures. They require a certain knowledge of the language, they require enunciation and a poetic approach to the language. Really, the one thing we have over the apes is our language, isn't it? That's about all.

3. Carlos Cruz:

   There's new language, they talk about crimes. They talk about a culture of death. They talk about a culture of abuse and cover-up. Before, they were omissions, sins, which is terrible.

4. Patrick O'Brian:

   Another language, sir? But I dare say it is much the same thing - a putain, as they say in France?

5. Daniel Potts:

   I think that it probably gave him a way to express himself when he was losing his language abilities, when he was no longer able to get his emotions out in a proper way, perhaps, maybe this gave him an outlet to deal with some of that.

Images & Illustrations of language

Popularity rank by frequency of use