as in dialect
the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field
the medical patois that the hospital staffers used among themselves was incomprehensible to me
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of patois
And so there’s West Indian patois and language and music and food.
—
Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025
There are countless examples like these, in which English scaffolding has adapted to the demands and the cultural heritage of its speakers, from Jamaican patois to Tok Pisin, of New Guinea.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Instead, viewers are immersed in Millie’s Kingston, with dialogue spoken almost entirely in Jamaican patois, where opportunities are limited, gang violence persists and whiteness is still put on a pedestal.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Nov. 2024
Casting themselves as high priests of pop culture, the duo encapsulated gay-millennial preoccupations and patois.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for patois
Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025
There are countless examples like these, in which English scaffolding has adapted to the demands and the cultural heritage of its speakers, from Jamaican patois to Tok Pisin, of New Guinea.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Instead, viewers are immersed in Millie’s Kingston, with dialogue spoken almost entirely in Jamaican patois, where opportunities are limited, gang violence persists and whiteness is still put on a pedestal.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Nov. 2024
Casting themselves as high priests of pop culture, the duo encapsulated gay-millennial preoccupations and patois.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for patois
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patois
Noun
-
There’s no universal language—only tribal dialects.—
Shekar Natarajan,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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Because the characters are speaking a very distinctive local dialect, and that’s, of course, completely lost in translation.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2025
Noun
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The development of new terminology could impact biomarker development and the understanding of liver disease’s natural history, which took decades to establish.—
Suchandrima Bhowmik,
Health,
31 May 2025
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Trained in the Sanford Meisner method of acting — and not afraid to throw that terminology around!—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Zimbabwe and South Africa share in Rhodes a common ancestor; in Ndebele a language with a close connection to Zulu (the most spoken language in South Africa); and the common visual vocabulary sometimes called Ndebele art.—
Percy Zvomuya,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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Of note is the incorporation of vocabulary from Ivan’s archaic Norm language, a special touch that entranced me.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Previously, pro-Kremlin trolls had been notably restrained in commenting on Trump, using neutral or careful language, Agentstvo reported.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
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This platform uses rigorous standardization protocols, like OMB guidelines for demographics and ISO codes for language, ensuring consistency.—
Raghvendra Tripathi,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Today's teen slang might seem like complete gibberish, but you may be surprised by how many terms echo phrases from the past.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
3 June 2025
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This translates as: The banlieues influence Paris and Paris influences the world (Paname is French slang for the city).—
Tomás Hill López-Menchero,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Patois.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patois. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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