What does dialect mean?
A dialect is a distinctive form of a language used by the people of a particular region or social group, marked by characteristic vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Every language exists as a collection of dialects rather than a single uniform system, and linguists regard each variety — whether considered 'standard' or not — as fully structured and expressive. In everyday speech, however, the word often carries an implication that a dialect is non-standard or rustic, which makes it worth using with care. Dialect appears frequently in discussions of literature, where writers render regional speech to create authentic voices, and in sociolinguistics, where it helps describe how language varies across geography and class. Related terms include accent, which concerns pronunciation alone, and vernacular, which emphasises everyday native speech. Understanding dialect deepens appreciation of how richly human language adapts to place and community.
nounA particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group, differing from the standard language in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. More broadly, a distinctive variety of a language spoken by the members of a group.
- A regional variety of a language distinguished by vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation (e.g. a Scottish dialect of English).
- A social or professional variety of language used by a particular group (e.g. the dialect of computer programmers).
"The novel's dialogue is written in the dialect of rural Appalachia."
"She grew up speaking a Sicilian dialect that her grandchildren can barely understand."
"Linguists distinguish between a national language and the many local dialects spoken across the country."
Regular English plural; used when referring to multiple regional or social varieties of one or more languages.
"China is home to hundreds of mutually unintelligible dialects."
The word 'dialect' literally means 'to talk across' — it comes straight from the same Greek root as 'dialogue'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dialect
Dialect derives from the Greek 'dialektos', meaning 'discourse' or 'way of speaking', formed from 'dialegesthai', 'to converse or speak across', a compound of 'dia-' ('across, between') and 'legein' ('to speak'). The Greek term originally referred to the distinct forms of speech associated with particular regions of Greece. It passed into Latin and then into French before entering English in the sixteenth century. Its cognates include 'dialectic' and 'dialogue', which share the same Greek root relating to speech and conversation.
Related word forms
How dialect is actually used
In everyday use, 'dialect' often carries a connotation of being non-standard or less prestigious than the standard language, though linguists treat all dialects — including standard varieties — as equally systematic and rule-governed. The term is neutral in technical linguistic writing but may sound slightly dismissive in casual speech; 'variety' is sometimes preferred for this reason.
Easily confused with dialect
Dialect refers to a regional or social variety of a language, while dialectic refers to logical argumentation or the process of reasoning through opposing ideas.