Word.ws English Dictionary

code-switch

code-switch verb: to alternate between two or more languages, typically in spoken conversation.

Verb

code-switch (third-person singular simple present code-switches, present participle code-switching, simple past and past participle code-switched)

  1. (intransitive) To alternate between two or more languages, typically in spoken conversation.
    Synonyms:
    code-mix
  2. (intransitive) To change the dialect or register in which one speaks a language.
    Synonyms:
    code-mix
  3. (intransitive) To change from playing rugby league to rugby union or vice versa.

Synonyms of code-switch

Forms of code-switch

third-person singular presentcode-switches
present participlecode-switching
past participlecode-switched
pastcode-switched
alternative formcodeswitch
alternative formcode switch

Words formed from code-switch

Questions about code-switch

What does code-switch mean?
Code-switch means to alternate between two or more languages, typically in spoken conversation.
What part of speech is code-switch?
Code-switch is a verb.
What is the past tense of code-switch?
The past tense of code-switch is code-switched.

Words near code-switch in the dictionary

  1. code-naming
  2. code-share
  3. code-shared
  4. code-shares
  5. code-sharing
  6. code-switch
  7. code-switched
  8. code-switcher
  9. code-switchers
  10. code-switches
  11. code-switching

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: code-switch (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Cite this entry: “code-switch.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/code-switch. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.