idiomatic

[ id-ee-uh-mat-ik ]

adjective

1. peculiar to or characteristic of a particular language or dialect:

   idiomatic French.

2. containing or using many idioms.
3. having a distinct style or character, especially in the arts:

   idiomatic writing; an idiomatic composer.

Other Words From

• idi·o·mati·cal·ly adverb
• idi·o·mati·cal·ness id·i·o·ma·tic·i·ty [id-ee-oh-m, uh, -, tis, -i-tee], noun
• nonid·i·o·matic adjective
• nonid·i·o·mati·cal adjective
• nonid·i·o·mati·cal·ly adverb
• nonid·i·o·mati·cal·ness noun
• unid·i·o·matic adjective
• unid·i·o·mati·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of idiomatic¹

1705–15; < Late Greek idiōmatikós, equivalent to idiōmat- (stem of idíōma ) idiom + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

I was confident I was being scammed in some way but the idiomatic language and contextual knowledge of Westminster was unsettling.

From BBC

Added Fraction: “Even if we spoke Japanese as a second language, that idiomatic stuff is the hardest thing to get.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Signing is very idiomatic, it’s conveying concepts with your face and hands, so we ended up changing the script,” Barclay says.

From Los Angeles Times

Fairy tales, idiomatic expressions, warrior tales all amplified human fear, and led to the systematic extermination of wolves across Britain and Europe.

From Seattle Times

The new volume, in a sensitive and briskly idiomatic translation by Ross Benjamin, offers revelation upon revelation.

From New York Times