Word
parlance
Phoneticspar·lance, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɑɹɫəns/
UK/pˈɑːləns/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. the way people in a specific group or place talk about something. It is often used to describe the special words or phrases used by experts or people from a certain area.
n. the manner of speaking or the vocabulary characteristic of a particular group, profession, or social class. Often used in the phrase 'in common parlance' to indicate how a term is generally understood by the public.
Examples
“In common parlance, the word means something different than it does in science.”
“The legal team explained the complex contract in plain English, as the technical parlance of the law can be confusing for non-experts.”
“While the term was once used in the parlance of medieval scholars to describe a specific type of logic, it has since been replaced by more modern linguistic terminology.”
Examples
simple
“In common parlance, the word means something different than it does in science.”
contextual
“The legal team explained the complex contract in plain English, as the technical parlance of the law can be confusing for non-experts.”
complex
“While the term was once used in the parlance of medieval scholars to describe a specific type of logic, it has since been replaced by more modern linguistic terminology.”
Real-World Examples
“In the parlance of Theodore Roosevelt, it’s a very big stick .” “In the parlance of the current Left, Arab Muslims “stole” their present homelands in the Middle East and North Africa from Romans and Greeks, who had predated them by some 800 years.” Etymology
From Middle English *parlaunce, from Anglo-Norman parlance, parlaunce, from parler (“to talk”) + -ance.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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