1
as in vernacular
used in or suitable for speech and not formal writing
the new coworker's rudeness soon began—to use a colloquial expression—to rub me the wrong way
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conversational
having the style and content of everyday conversation
a colloquial essay on what makes a marriage successful
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in colloquialism
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of colloquial
Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
But the colloquial use of the term has prompted criticism from some.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 20 July 2025
Proposition 12 is the colloquial term for the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative.
—Alan Wooten, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2025
The strawberry moon is the colloquial name for June's full moon, a term originating from Native American tribes who marked the time when wild strawberries reached peak ripeness.
—Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquial
Noun
Gilbert’s colloquial style, once a source of great pleasure, has tipped into new territory—an ingenuousness that blends guru and disciple, mother and child.
—Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
But the colloquial use of the term has prompted criticism from some.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 20 July 2025
Proposition 12 is the colloquial term for the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative.
—Alan Wooten, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2025
The strawberry moon is the colloquial name for June's full moon, a term originating from Native American tribes who marked the time when wild strawberries reached peak ripeness.
—Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for colloquial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colloquial
Adjective
-
For such an insistence on democracy, the pavilion is curiously tepid in its politics, save for a kind of vernacular populism and some PBS-esque nods to the Gee’s Bend quilters.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
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Once again, his use of vernacular and social media address appeared to be mocking the President’s own style.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Predicting which persona vectors are likely to become engaged and anticipating what impact the persona vector will have on a conversational chat.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Kathleen Peters, chief innovation officer at Experian, said the company already has conversational agents that recommend actions and now carry them out—for example, walking a customer through the steps to boost a credit score.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This could involve helping systems learn colloquialisms and proper usages of terms.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Mar. 2025
-
You would be forgiven for assuming this a playful colloquialism, perhaps revealing a tenderness to the hunt.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Protesters signaled their support for Karki through an informal vote on the messaging app Discord.—
Sugam Pokharel,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Bolsonaro's presidency was marked by intense skepticism about the pandemic and vaccines and his embrace of informal mining and land-clearing for cattle grazing, pushing deforestation rates in the Amazon rainforest to record highs.—
Ricardo Brito,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Holly, who did not share her last name, posed in the familiar tourist style—appearing to hold up the tilted tower.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The fantastic is used to sketch out familiar story lines, but the metaphysical premise remains as vague as the dramatic stakes in the lives of the characters.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, analytical software has revolutionized linguistic inquiry, enabling greater understanding of the ways language works—when, how, and why words break out; the specific contexts for expressions and idioms.—
Stefan Fatsis,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
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Nonnas There's a saying that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn) of 2025's Nonnas is the perfect depiction of the idiom.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Streaming platforms have blurred the line between prestige drama and casual binge.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Ranging in sizes 4 Petite to 24 Plus, this casual yet classy dress features button cuff sleeves, a flattering tie closure, and over a dozen colors to choose from.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The hard problem is explaining how and why beings have conscious, subjective experiences at all (qualia in philosophical parlance).—
Kevin Dickinson,
Big Think,
20 Aug. 2025
-
One part of this process, known in Senate parlance as reconciliation, provisions legislation being moved in this manner to increase the federal deficit beyond the next 10-year budget window.—
Andrea Ruth,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colloquial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colloquial. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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