Meanings
nouncolloquialism (countable and uncountable, plural colloquialisms)
plural colloquialisms
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesA colloquial word or phrase; a common spoken expression.
Before embarking on her trip, Kaefer expected to find a pan-Antarctic vocabulary, but quickly discovered there were distinct colloquialisms within each station.
2024 June 20, Eva Corlett, “Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slang”, in The Guardian - countableuncountablehuman sciencesA colloquial manner of speaking.
The differences between slang, colloquialism and jargon are not clear-cut.
1996, James Lambert, The Macquarie Book of Slang, Sydney: Macquarie Library, page v
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
- Proto-Italic*kom
- Proto-Italic*kom-
- Latincon-
- Proto-Indo-European*telkʷ-
- Proto-Indo-European*tlokʷetor
- Proto-Italic*tlokʷōr
- Latinloquor
- Latincolloquor
- Latincolloquium
- Middle Englishcolloquies
- Englishcolloquy
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Englishcolloquial
- Englishcolloquialism
From colloquial + -ism.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic عَامِّيَّة, دَارِجَة
- عَامِّيَّة (ʕāmmiyya)colloquial expression
- دَارِجَة (dārija)colloquial expression
Bulgarian разговорен израз, разговорен език
- разговорен израз (razgovoren izraz)colloquial expression
- разговорен език (razgovoren ezik)colloquial style of speaking
- разговорна реч (razgovorna reč)colloquial style of speaking
Chinese Mandarin 口語 /口语, 俗語 /俗语
- 口語 /口语 (kǒuyǔ)colloquial expression
- 俗語 /俗语 (súyǔ)colloquial expression
- 白話 /白话 (báihuà)colloquial expression
Finnish puhekielen ilmaus, puhekielinen ilmaus
- puhekielen ilmauscolloquial expression
- puhekielinen ilmauscolloquial expression
French expression familière
- expression familièrecolloquial expression
German Umgangssprachausdruck, Gemeinsprache
- Umgangssprachausdruckcolloquial expression
- Gemeinsprachecolloquial style of speaking
- Umgangssprachecolloquial style of speaking
- Alltagssprachecolloquial style of speaking
- volkstümlicher Sprachgebrauchcolloquial style of speaking
Greek κοινολεξία
- κοινολεξία (koinolexía)colloquial expression
Japanese 口語表現, 俗語
- 口語表現 (kōgo hyōgen)colloquial expression
- 俗語 (zokugo)colloquial expression
- 口語 (kōgo)colloquial expression
Korean 구어, 속어
- 구어 (gueo)colloquial expression
- 속어 (sogeo)colloquial expression
Latvian vienkāršruna, sarunvalodas izteiciens
- vienkāršrunacolloquial expression
- sarunvalodas izteicienscolloquial expression
- sarunvalodas vārdscolloquial expression
Māori kīwaha
- kīwahacolloquial expression
Norwegian Bokmål hverdagsuttrykk
- hverdagsuttrykkcolloquial expression
Polish kolokwializm, potocyzm
- kolokwializmcolloquial expression
- potocyzmcolloquial expression
- wyrażenie potocznecolloquial expression
- język potocznycolloquial style of speaking
- mowa potocznacolloquial style of speaking
- język obiegowycolloquial style of speaking
- język pospolitycolloquial style of speaking
- język swobodnycolloquial style of speaking
- język powszechnycolloquial style of speaking
Portuguese coloquialismo
- coloquialismocolloquial expression
Russian просторе́чие, разгово́рное выраже́ние
- просторе́чие (prostoréčije)colloquial expression
- разгово́рное выраже́ние (razgovórnoje vyražénije)colloquial expression
Spanish coloquialismo
- coloquialismocolloquial expression
Swedish slang, talspråk
- slangcolloquial expression
- talspråkcolloquial expression
Tagalog pansalitaan, kolokyal
- pansalitaancolloquial expression
- kolokyalcolloquial style of speaking
Cite this entry
APA
colloquialism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colloquialism
MLA
“colloquialism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colloquialism. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “colloquialism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colloquialism.
Source: colloquialism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.