vernacular Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves)
    patois; argot; cant; slang; jargon; lingo.
    • they don't speak our lingo
  2. noun the everyday speech of the people (as distinguished from literary language)
  3. adjective satellite being or characteristic of or appropriate to everyday language
    vulgar; common.
    • common parlance
    • a vernacular term
    • vernacular speakers
    • the vulgar tongue of the masses
    • the technical and vulgar names for an animal species

WordNet

Ver*nac"u*lar adjective
Etymology
L. vernaculus born in one's house, native, fr. verna a slave born in his master's house, a native, probably akin to Skr. vas to dwell, E. was.
Definitions
  1. Belonging to the country of one's birth; one's own by birth or nature; native; indigenous; -- now used chiefly of language; as, English is our vernacular language. "A vernacular disease." Harvey.
    His skill the vernacular dialect of the Celtic tongue. Fuller.
    Which in our vernacular idiom may be thus interpreted. Pope.
Ver*nac"u*lar noun
Definitions
  1. The vernacular language; one's mother tongue; often, the common forms of expression in a particular locality.

Webster 1913