Idiom
noun /ˈɪd.i.əm/ — A phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from its individual words.
Definition
A phrase or expression whose meaning is figurative or established by usage rather than derivable from the meanings of its individual words. 'Kick the bucket', 'bite the bullet', 'on the fence' are all idioms — native speakers understand them; non-native speakers learn them separately.
Beyond the definition
Idioms are language's shortcuts through experience — compressed wisdom or imagery that a community has agreed to treat as a single unit of meaning. They make language feel lived-in.
Origin & history
From Greek 'idioma' (special property, peculiar phraseology); from 'idios' (one's own, private). The special phrasing that is peculiarly one's own.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Learning a language's idioms is learning its history — 'spill the beans' and 'kick the bucket' both came from specific practices now forgotten.
Translation reveals idioms: what is obvious in one language is untranslatable in another.
She had grown up with idioms from three languages mixing in her household — and had to learn, in each context, which ones applied.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Idiom” when the meaning fits your context: A phrase or expression whose meaning is figurative or established by usage rather than derivable from the meanings of its individual words. 'Kick the bucket', 'bite the bullet', 'on the fence' are all idioms — native speakers understand them; non-native speakers learn them separately.
Synonyms
expression, phrase, figure of speech, colloquialism
Antonyms
literal expression, transparent phrase
Related words
Idiom vs figure of speech
An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning isn't literal. A figure of speech is a broader category including metaphors, similes, and hyperbole that deviate from literal meanings for effect.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Restored Through Visible Repair
An artist repairs a pottery bowl using thin gold seams to hold fragments together.
The gold seam is a figurative way to mend the break, mirroring how an idiom holds a meaning not literal to the words themselves. It requires shared knowledge to understand the 'seam' holding the phrase's truth together.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Idiom" mean?
Idiom is noun meaning: A phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from its individual words.. A phrase or expression whose meaning is figurative or established by usage rather than derivable from the meanings of its individual words. 'Kick the bucket', 'bite the bullet', 'on the fence' are all idioms — native speakers understand them; non-native speakers learn them separately.
Where does the word "Idiom" come from?
From Greek 'idioma' (special property, peculiar phraseology); from 'idios' (one's own, private). The special phrasing that is peculiarly one's own.