Synonyms for diction
Most common
language phrasing verbiage phraseology grammar rhetoric enunciation
All synonyms
Noun
1. Verbiage
verbiage, phraseology, phrasing, language, wording, vocabulary, style, expression, wordage, terminology, phrase dated
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
Choice and use of words, especially with regard to effective communication; the effectiveness and degree of clarity of word choice and expression.
the identification of the poetic impulse with sonorous diction
Related words
- Word family
- dictate dictation dictionary dictum
Forms
- Plural
- dictions → verbiages, phraseologies, phrasings, languages…
Choose the right word
An author's diction is strictly his choice and use of words, with no special reference to thought; expression regards the words simply as the vehicle of the thought. Diction is general; wording is limited; we speak of the diction of an author or of a work, the wording of a proposition, of a resolution, etc.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- language Few people can speak a foreign language perfectly.
- phrasing I'll try using the phrasing Tom suggested.
- verbiage Words should be meaningful, not just verbiage.
- grammar I don't understand this confusing grammar question.
- rhetoric The homophobic rhetoric has declined over the years.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| diction | falling | |
| language | rising | |
| phrasing | steady | |
| verbiage | falling | |
| phraseology | falling | |
| grammar | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- style1
- 6 letters
- phrase1
- 7 letters
- grammar2, wording2, wordage
- 8 letters
- language2, rhetoric3, phrasing2, verbiage3
- 10 letters
- expression3, vocabulary5
- 11 letters
- terminology5, phraseology5, enunciation
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (grammar2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- diction