A dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters in a book, play or movie or a conversation between two or more people in real life, especially when they are working together on a particular project or problem. In North America, dialogue is also used as a verb to mean to take part in a conversation in order to work toward a resolution of a particular problem or particular project. Related words are dialogues, dialogued, dialoguing.
Dialog is an alternative spelling of the word dialogue that is primarily found in North America. This alternative spelling became popular in the 1980s when it became a computer term. This streamlined spelling has been transferred to other uses of the word dialogue, and has become the spelling that is used most often in North America, though the Oxford English Dictionary still shows the preferred spelling as dialogue.
Examples
In a statement by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, MEND indicated the former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, on Friday contacted it on the planned dialogue with Niger Delta groups. (The Premium Times)
Changing our hearts is critical to rooting out our prejudices and initiating candid dialogue about race and policing in our country. (The Columbia Dispatch)
A two-day meeting of the Task Force on Sino-Tibetan Negotiations held in Dharamshala, India, with a very strong commitment for peaceful resolutions to the issue of Tibet through dialogue with the Chinese government. (The Tibet Post)
They don’t know that a piece of software needs an update unless it creates a dialog box telling them so. (The Atlantic)
City, police leaders call for dialog in addressing protesters’ issues (The Commercial Appeal)
Tupelo Mayor: Justice Dept. to help dialog about police shooting (The Clarion Ledger)