Idiom Definition

An idiom is a phrase or an expression that

has a figurative, or sometimes literal, meaning.

An idiom’s figurative meaning is different from the literal meaning.
Idioms occur in all languages on every continent throughout the world.

They are known as a form of formulaic language.

This type of language is not meant to be taken literally in most cases.

These phrases are meant to have a figurative meaning that paints a picture in someone’s mind as a comparison for what is literally implied by the terminology being used.

Most idioms come in the form of phrases known as idiomatic phrases.

Idioms are used every day in all types of conversations and discussions about many topics.

They most often appear in informal conversations, but can also appear in formal discussions as well.

The History Of Idioms

Most idioms have an extensive history of being used over an extended period of time.

Many have origins in the Bible and even more are derived from Old English or Latin phrases and words.

Well-known authors like Shakespeare, Chaucer, and many others have used or are solely responsible for the creation of some idioms in their works of poetry, drama, plays, and more.

These well-known authors used idioms to prevent their writing from sounding bland, mundane, and repetitive by using the same old boring comparisons using both relative and literal terms.

In fact, most of the popular idioms that we still use to this very day have stood the ultimate test of time having originated thousands of years ago.

When used idiom as either a part of a conversation or as a part of writing, idioms have a way of making what we are attempting to say better.

Idiomatic phrases add color and poetry to what we say and what we write.

They also give us a way to make the people on the other end listening think outside the box due to their figurative language.

It makes people stop and think “what did they mean by that?”