language
noun
ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ 
ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ of a country
1 [countable] the system of communication in speech and writing that is used by people of a particular country or areathe Japanese languageIt takes a long time to learn to speak a language well.Italian is my first language.All the children must learn a foreign language.She has a good command of the Spanish language.a qualification in language teachingThey fell in love in spite of the language barrier (= the difficulty of communicating when people speak different languages).Why study Latin? It's a dead language (= no longer spoken by anyone).Is English an official language in your country? see also modern languagecommunication
2 [uncountable] the use by humans of a system of sounds and words to communicatetheories about the origins of languagea study of language acquisition in two-year-oldsstyle of speaking/writing
3 [uncountable] a particular style of speaking or writingbad/foul/strong language (= words that people may consider offensive)literary/poetic languagethe language of the legal professionGive your instructions in everyday language. see also bad languagemovements/symbols/sound
4 [countable, uncountable] a way of expressing ideas and feelings using movements, symbols and soundthe language of mimethe language of dolphins/bees see also body language, sign languagecomputing
5 [countable, uncountable] a system of symbols and rules that is used to operate a computera programming languageIdioms
mind/watch your language
to be careful about what you say in order not to upset or offend somebody
Watch your language, young man!speak/talk the same language
to be able to communicate easily with another person because you share similar opinions and experience
Usage note: languagevocabulary terms wording terminologyThese are all terms for the words and expressions people use when they speak or write, or for a particular style of speaking or writing.language a particular style of speaking or writing: Give your instructions in everyday language. ◇ the language of the legal professionvocabulary all the words that a person knows or uses, or all the words in a particular language; the words that people use when they are talking about a particular subject: to have a wide/limited vocabulary ◇ The word has become part of advertising vocabulary.terms a way of expressing yourself or of saying something: I'll try to explain in simple terms.wording [usually sing.] the words that are used in a piece of writing or speech, especially when they have been carefully chosen: It was the standard form of wording for a consent letter.terminology (rather formal) the set of technical words or expressions used in a particular subject; words used with particular meanings: medical terminology ◇ Scientists are constantly developing new terminologies. Literary/poetic terminology is used for talking about literature or poetry. Literary/poetic language is used for writing in a literary or poetic style.formal/informal/everyday language/vocabulary/termsbusiness/scientific/technical/specialized language/vocabulary/terminologyA word enters the language/the vocabulary.