parlance

noun

par·​lance ˈpär-lən(t)s How to pronounce parlance (audio)
Synonyms of parlance
1
: speech
especially : formal debate or parley
… battle and not parlance should determine his right and title. —John Speed
2
: manner or mode of speech : idiom
The company's computer system had, in computer parlance, "crashed."

Examples of parlance 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 last attack—or troll, to use modern parlance—has proven to be particularly popular on the car internet due to the price discrepancy between the two EVs. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2026 No anything from any words that have not been used in popular parlance since the 1940s. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2026 In piano parlance, an étude is a technically tricky piece of music typically practiced to push a musician beyond their limits. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 For four years, common parlance had called it the White House of the Confederacy. — Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for parlance

Word History

Etymology

Middle English parlaunce, borrowed from Anglo-French parlance, parlaunce "speech, gossip, debate," from parler "to speak, talk" + -aunce, -ance -ance — more at parley entry 2

Note: Parlance is much more amply attested in Anglo-French than in continental Old and Middle French, especially after ca. 1300. The Dictionnaire du moyen français has only marginal evidence for the word after 1350.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of parlance was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing parlance

Browse Nearby Words

parl
parlance
parlando
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Cite this Entry

“Parlance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parlance. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

parlance

noun
par·​lance ˈpär-lən(t)s How to pronounce parlance (audio)
: manner of speech

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