American Sign Language

noun

: a sign language that is used especially for communication by and with deaf people and is the formal sign language of the U.S. and English-speaking Canada and also serves as the basis for various sign languages in other countries (such as Thailand, Nigeria, and Bolivia)
—abbreviation ASL

Note: American Sign Language was developed in Hartford, Connecticut in the early 1800s.

Examples of American Sign Language in a Sentence

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.
The lead roles in the show are performed simultaneously by two actors, one who speaks and sings and one who uses American Sign Language. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026 One challenge, however, is that American Sign Language is not just the movement of hands but the translators’ facial expressions. — Heather Newman, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 Part of the talent team that provided American Sign Language translation on video displays throughout the museum were also on hand. — A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026 Suddenly, Floyd — an American Sign Language interpreter — sees through the window a young man meandering toward the motel’s pool, on the verge of falling in. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for American Sign Language

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of American Sign Language was in 1893

Rhymes for American Sign Language

See All Rhymes for American Sign Language

Browse Nearby Words

American shorthair
American Sign Language
American snowball
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“American Sign Language.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American%20Sign%20Language. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

American Sign Language

noun
: a sign language for the deaf

More from Merriam-Webster on American Sign Language

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about American Sign Language

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All