Expression vs. Idiom — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Expression and Idiom
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Compare with Definitions
Expression
The action of making known one's thoughts or feelings
She accepted his expressions of sympathy
The prisoners developed a dialect as an everyday means of expression
Idiom
An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, an idiom's figurative meaning is different from the literal meaning.
Expression
A look on someone's face that conveys a particular emotion
A sad expression
Idiom
A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g. over the moon, see the light).
Expression
A word or phrase, especially an idiomatic one, used to convey an idea
We have an expression, ‘You don't get owt for nowt.’
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Idiom
A characteristic mode of expression in music or art
They were both working in a neo-impressionist idiom
Expression
The production of something by pressing it out
Essential oils obtained by distillation or expression
Idiom
A speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements, as in keep tabs on.
Expression
The appearance in a phenotype of a characteristic or effect attributed to a particular gene
Expression of the TAT gene is restricted to the parenchymal cells
Idiom
The specific grammatical, syntactic, and structural character of a given language.
Expression
The act of expressing, conveying, or representing in words, art, music, or movement; a manifestation
An expression of rural values.
Idiom
Regional speech or dialect.
Expression
Something that expresses or communicates
Let this plaque serve as an expression of our esteem.
Idiom
A specialized vocabulary used by a group of people; jargon
Legal idiom.
Expression
(Mathematics) A symbol or combination of symbols that represents a quantity or a relationship between quantities.
Idiom
A style of artistic expression characteristic of a particular individual, school, period, or medium
The idiom of the French impressionists.
The punk rock idiom.
Expression
The manner in which one expresses oneself, especially in speaking, depicting, or performing.
Idiom
A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, language family, or group of people.
In English, idiom requires the indefinite article in a phrase such as "she's an engineer", whereas in Spanish, idiom forbids it.
Some of the usage prescriptions improved clarity and were kept; others that yielded discordant violations of idiom were eventually revised.
Expression
A particular word or phrase
"an old Yankee expression ... 'Stand up and be counted'" (Charles Kuralt).
Idiom
(programming) A programming construct or phraseology that is characteristic of the language.
Expression
The outward manifestation of a mood or a disposition
My tears are an expression of my grief.
Idiom
A language or language variety; specifically, a restricted dialect used in a given historical period, context etc.
In the idiom of the day, they were sutlers, although today they'd probably be called vendors.
Expression
A facial aspect or a look that conveys a special feeling
An expression of scorn.
Idiom
An established phrasal expression whose meaning may not be deducible from the literal meanings of its component words.
She often spoke in idioms, pining for salad days and complaining about pots calling the kettle black.
Expression
The act of pressing or squeezing out.
Idiom
An artistic style (for example, in art, architecture, or music); an instance of such a style.
The idiom of the expressionists
Expression
(Genetics) The act or process of expressing a gene.
Idiom
The syntactical or structural form peculiar to any language; the genius or cast of a language.
Idiom may be employed loosely and figuratively as a synonym of language or dialect, but in its proper sense it signifies the totality of the general rules of construction which characterize the syntax of a particular language and distinguish it from other tongues.
By idiom is meant the use of words which is peculiar to a particular language.
He followed their language [the Latin], but did not comply with the idiom of ours.
Expression
The action of expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, etc.
Idiom
An expression conforming or appropriate to the peculiar structural form of a language.
Some that with care true eloquence shall teach,And to just idioms fix our doubtful speech.
Expression
A particular way of phrasing an idea.
Idiom
A combination of words having a meaning peculiar to itself and not predictable as a combination of the meanings of the individual words, but sanctioned by usage; as, an idiomatic expression; less commonly, a single word used in a peculiar sense.
It is not by means of rules that such idioms as the following are made current: "I can make nothing of it." "He treats his subject home." Dryden. "It is that within us that makes for righteousness." M. Arnold.
Sometimes we identify the words with the object - though by courtesy of idiom rather than in strict propriety of language.
Expression
A colloquialism or idiom.
The expression "break a leg!" should not be taken literally.
Idiom
The phrase forms peculiar to a particular author; as, written in his own idiom.
Every good writer has much idiom.
Expression
A facial appearance usually associated with an emotion.
They stared at the newcomer with a puzzled expression.
The best poker players can tell if the opponents have a good hand by looking at their expression.
Her expression changed from joy to misery after realising her winning lottery ticket had expired.
Idiom
Dialect; a variant form of a language.
Expression
(mathematics) An arrangement of symbols denoting values, operations performed on them, and grouping symbols.
Idiom
A manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language
Expression
(biology) The process of translating a gene into a protein.
Idiom
The usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people;
The immigrants spoke an odd dialect of English
He has a strong German accent
Expression
(programming) A piece of code in a high-level language that returns a value.
Idiom
The style of a particular artist or school or movement;
An imaginative orchestral idiom
Expression
A specific blend of whisky.
Idiom
An expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up
Expression
(biology) (manufacturing) The act of pressing or squeezing out.
Expression from a gland
Breast milk expression can be achieved by hand or with a pump.
However the mechanical expression of juice led to an improvement of the solutes extraction from mash.
Expression
(music) The tone of voice or sound in music.
Expression
Emotional involvement or engagement in a text read aloud rendered by the voice of the reciter or the reader
Expression
The act of expressing; the act of forcing out by pressure; as, the expression of juices or oils; also, of extorting or eliciting; as, a forcible expression of truth.
Expression
The act of declaring or signifying; declaration; utterance; as, an expression of the public will.
With this tone of philosophy were mingled expressions of sympathy.
Expression
Lively or vivid representation of meaning, sentiment, or feeling, etc.; significant and impressive indication, whether by language, appearance, or gesture; that manner or style which gives life and suggestive force to ideas and sentiments; as, he reads with expression; her performance on the piano has expression.
The imitators of Shakespeare, fixing their attention on his wonderful power of expression, have directed their imitation to this.
Expression
That which is expressed by a countenance, a posture, a work of art, etc.; look, as indicative of thought or feeling.
It still wore the majesty of expression so conspicuous in his portraits by the inimitable pencil of Titian.
Expression
A form of words in which an idea or sentiment is conveyed; a mode of speech; a phrase; as, a common expression; an odd expression.
Expression
The representation of any quantity or relation by appropriate characters or symbols, usually in a specific order.
Expression
The production of products by a gene that cause the appearance of the corresponding protein or phenotype; - of a gene or of an organism with a specific gene; as, the expression the beta-galactosidase positive phenotype,
Expression
A combination of characters linked by operators, occurring as part of the code of a computer program, which must be evaluated according to the rules of the computer language in order to produce a resulting value.
Expression
The expression on a person's face;
A sad expression
A look of triumph
An angry face
Expression
Expression without words;
Tears are an expression of grief
The pulse is a reflection of the heart's condition
Expression
The communication (in speech or writing) of your beliefs or opinions;
Expressions of good will
He helped me find expression for my ideas
Expression
A word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations;
Pardon the expression
Expression
The style of expressing yourself;
He suggested a better formulation
His manner of expression showed how much he cared
Expression
A group of symbols that make a mathematical statement
Expression
(genetics) the process of expressing a gene
Expression
A group of words that form a constituent of a sentence and are considered as a single unit;
I concluded from his awkward constructions that he was a foreigner
Expression
The act of forcing something out by squeezing or pressing;
The expression of milk from her breast
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