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.
So far, most investments in Venezuela are in existing oil sites—brownfields, in industry parlance. — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 17 June 2026 The look that stuck with us from his spring 2026 menswear collection, his final for the house, was this brown field jacket—officially, in brand parlance, a hemp blouson. — Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 17 June 2026 In industry parlance, a frontier model is a new, cutting edge AI model trained on massive amounts of data that can reason and autonomously use tools to initiate actions. — Anjana Susarla, The Conversation, 12 June 2026 Harbour, working with ASL interpreters on set, adapted the lines as written to fit the rhythms and structures of ASL parlance. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 11 June 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parlance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parlance. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

parlance

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

More from Merriam-Webster on parlance

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