colloquial

See also: col·loquial

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

1751, from earlier term colloquy (a conversation), from Latin colloquium (conference, conversation), from con- (together) + loquor (to speak), + -al.

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

colloquial (comparative more colloquial, superlative most colloquial)

  1. (linguistics) Characteristic of familiar conversation, of common parlance; informal.
    You're using too many colloquial words in this cover letter I suggest changing "I picked up loads of cool skills" to "I acquired a great deal of positive abilities"
    The colloquial and at times sarcastic tone of her books make her popular with teenagers.
  2. Of or pertaining to a conversation; conversational or chatty.

Usage notesEdit

It is a common misconception that colloquial somehow denotes "local" or a word being "regional". This is not the case; the word root for colloquial is related to locution, not location. A more appropriate word for describing "local" or "regional" language is vernacular.

Note that while colloquy and colloquium refer to formal conversation, colloquial refers instead specifically to informal conversation (casual tone). This does not always mean spoken as opposed to written, but it always means informal as opposed to formal.

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NounEdit

colloquial (plural colloquials)

  1. A colloquial word or phrase, colloquialism

Related termsEdit