What does "language" mean?
A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
Language
/ˈlæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/ intj, noun, verb
intj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
- Grammar: language is listed as intj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: speech, programming language, tongue, abnaki.
- Useful contrasts: illiteracy, inarticulateness, miscommunication.
- Usage evidence: Mathematicians are like French people: whatever you tell them they translate it into their own language and turn it into something totally different.
How to use "language"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "language" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "language" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "language" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "language" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "language" is acting as intj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "speech" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "language", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication. countable
"The English and German languages are both members of the West Germanic language family."
- 2 A languet, a flat plate in or below the flue pipe of an organ.
"A flue-pipe is one in which the air passes through the throat, or flue, which is the narrow, longitudinal aperture between the lower lip and the tongue, or language. […] The language is adjusted by slightly elevating or depressing it, […]"
- 3 the mental faculty or power of vocal communication wordnet
- 4 The ability to communicate using words. uncountable
"the gift of language"
- 5 the cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding linguistic communication wordnet
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 A sublanguage: the slang of a particular community or jargon of a particular specialist field. uncountable
"legal language; the language of chemistry"
- 7 a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols wordnet
- 8 The specific wording or style of a text, such as a law or a contract. uncountable
"Technological advances are notorious for exposing the open-endedness of the language in our laws, even when we thought our definitions were airtight. Lawmakers can’t anticipate everything. Indeed, you could make the case that the whole area of patent law just is the problem of deciding whether some new technology should fall within the range of the language of the patent."
- 9 a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline wordnet
- 10 The expression of thought (the communication of meaning) in a specified way; that which communicates something, as language does. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"body language; the language of the eyes"
- 11 the text of a popular song or musical-comedy number wordnet
- 12 A body of sounds, signs or signals by which animals communicate, and by which plants are sometimes also thought to communicate. countable, uncountable
"A more likely hypothesis was that the attacked leaves were transmitting some airborne chemical signal to sound the alarm, rather like insects sending out warnings […] But this is the first time that a plant-to-plant language has been detected."
- 13 (language) communication by word of mouth wordnet
- 14 A computer language; a machine language. countable
"In fact pointers are called references in these languages to distinguish them from pointers in languages like C and C++."
- 15 A manner of expression. uncountable
"Their language simple, as their manners meek, […]"
- 16 The particular words used in a speech or a passage of text. uncountable
"The language used in the law does not permit any other interpretation."
- 17 Profanity. euphemistic, uncountable
""Where the hell is Horace?" ¶ "There he is. He's coming. You shouldn't use language.""
Verb
- 1 To communicate by language; to express in language. nonstandard, rare
"Others were languaged in such doubtful expressions that they have a double sense."
Intj
- 1 An admonishment said in response to someone using vulgar language during a conversation.
"Nancy: So... me and Barbara are gonna study at her house tonight. That's cool, right? / Karen: No, not cool. / Nancy: What? Why not? / Karen: Why do you think? Am I speaking Chinese in this house? Until we know Will is okay, no one leaves. / Nancy: This is such bullshit. / Ted: Language. / Nancy: So we're under house arrest? Just because Mike's friend got lost on the way home from... / Mike: Wait, this is Will's fault? / Karen: Nancy, take that back. / Nancy: No! / Mike: You're just pissed off 'cause you wanna hang out with Steve. / Ted: Steve? / Karen: Who's Steve? / Mike: Her new boyfriend. / Nancy: You are such a douchebag, Mike! / Ted: Language!"
Antonyms
Example
"Mathematicians are like French people: whatever you tell them they translate it into their own language and turn it into something totally different."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "language"?
Common synonyms include: speech, programming language, tongue, abnaki, accent, afghan.
How do you use "language" in a sentence?
Mathematicians are like French people: whatever you tell them they translate it into their own language and turn it into something totally different.
How do you pronounce "language"?
Pronounced /ˈlæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English langage, language, from Old French language, from Vulgar Latin *linguāticum, from Latin lingua (“tongue, speech, language”), from Old Latin dingua (“tongue”), from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (“tongue, speech, language”). Doublet of langaj. Displaced native Old English ġeþēode.
Etymology 2
Alteration of languet.
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