Definition of "metalanguage" []

• A language or vocabulary used to describe or analyze language. (noun)
• Computer Science A language used to define another language. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "On the positive side, the concept of truth can be adequately defined for any formalized language L in a language (the so-called metalanguage), provided it is of higher order than L."
• "But the mathematical part of the metalanguage will be the same, for that's the "sufficiently developed system of mathematical logic" of which Tarski spoke."
• "They also do not necessarily learn the important "metalanguage" of subject areas, which is so crucial if our learners are to socially interact and discuss ideas in a specific knowledge domain with each other and with authentic experts."