dialogue
/ˈdaɪəˌlɑɡ/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.29 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A conversation or other form of discourse between two or more individuals.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
In a dramatic or literary presentation, the verbal parts of the script or text; the verbalizations of the actors or characters.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The relationship between two texts or artworks interpreted as responding to each other (regardless of whether this is actually possible).
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Melinda and Bill maintained a dialogue via email over the course of their long-distance relationship."
- "Start up a dialogue"
- "Guido and Francesca exchanged looks; for the attention with which both had listened had enabled them to comprehend with tolerable accuracy the preceding dialogue."
- "The hours of dialogue with Winfrey, which culminated in a choked-up moment on Friday night as he discussed the impact of his cheating on his family, appear to have failed to give Armstrong the redemption that he craves."
- "The movie had great special effects, but the dialogue was lackluster."
- "In 1936, Anstey had co-directed Housing Problems, which featured direct dialogue recording - allowing the subjects of the film to speak for themselves. As Anstey said: "At the time nobody had done it, and we gave slum dwellers a chance to make their own films.""
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English dialog, from Old French dialoge (French dialogue), from Late Latin dialogus, from Ancient Greek διάλογος (diálogos, “conversation, discourse”), from διά (diá, “through, inter”) + λόγος (lógos, “speech, oration, discourse”), from διαλέγομαι (dialégomai, “to converse”), from διά (diá) + λέγειν (légein, “to speak”), equivalent to dia- (“between”) + -logue. Also analyzable as di- (“two”) + -alogue.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈdaɪəˌlɑɡ/
- British English: /ˈdaɪəlɒɡ/