1
a : using a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language b: of, relating to, or being a nonstandard language or dialect of a place, region, or country
c: of, relating to, or being the normal spoken form of a language
2
: applied to a plant or animal in the common native speech as distinguished from the Latin nomenclature of scientific classification3
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a period, place, or group especially : of, relating to, or being the common building style of a period or place1
: a vernacular language, expression, or mode of expression : an expression or mode of expression that occurs in ordinary speech rather than formal writing
2
: the mode of expression of a group or class
3
: a common name of a plant or animal as distinguished from the Latin nomenclature of scientific classification : a vernacular name of a plant or animal Last Updated: 2 May 2025 - Updated example sentencesSubscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!
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