1
a : used in or characteristic of familiar and informal conversation In colloquial English, "kind of" is often used for "somewhat" or "rather."also : unacceptably informal
b : using conversational style Did you know?The noun colloquy was first used in English to refer to a conversation or dialogue, and when the adjective colloquial was formed from colloquy it had a similar focus. Over time, however, colloquial developed a more specific meaning related to language that is most suited to informal conversation—and it ultimately garnered an additional, disparaging implication of a style that seems too informal for a situation. Colloquy and colloquial trace back to the Latin verb colloqui, meaning "to converse." Colloqui in turn was formed by combining the prefix com- ("with") and loqui ("to speak"). Other conversational descendants of loqui in English include circumlocution, eloquent, loquacious, soliloquy, and ventriloquism.
Examples of colloquial in a Sentence But I think part of this pickle that we're in—if I may be colloquial, even though I'm not running for office—is that we've lost their sense of responsibility. —Sarah Vowell, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2008 Langston was the merriest and the most colloquial of them all. "Best party I've ever been given!" he said. —Gwendolyn Brooks, Booklist, 15 Oct. 1993 Mr. Salisbury's firsthand account is written in a fast-paced, chaotic and colloquial style, which often feels confused and hastily set down. —Susan Shapiro, New York Times Book Review, 10 Sept. 1989 Although in the circle of his friends, where he might be unreserved with safety, he took a free share in conversation, his colloquial talents were not above mediocrity, possessing neither copiousness of ideas, nor fluency of words. —Thomas Jefferson, letter, 2 Jan. 1814 the new coworker's rudeness soon began—to use a colloquial expression—to rub me the wrong way a colloquial essay on what makes a marriage successful Recent Examples on the Web Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback. Because back nine is close to backside, and backside is just far too colloquial. —Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2025 Russ Scholl, a ski instructor at Breckenridge Ski Resort, has published a 133-square grid of funky colloquial phrases for different types of snow. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 24 Mar. 2025 The terms used above are colloquial in nature and don’t have well established business definitions. —Mark Settle, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 The region’s colloquial exclamation alamak, which is used to convey surprise and dismay, is also included in the list, though its exact origin is uncertain. —Peter Guo, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for colloquial Word HistoryFirst Known Use
1751, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of colloquial was in 1751 Cite this Entry“Colloquial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colloquial. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
Last Updated: 13 Apr 2025 - Updated example sentencesLove words? Need even more definitions?
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