What is the definition of "language"?

"Language," as defined by Merriam-Webster is "a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures or marks having understood meanings." In the literary sense, sub-categories of language include abstract, concrete, literal, figurative and elevated.

Abstract language is a literary device used to describe intangible things such as God, feelings and thoughts within a person's mind. Concrete language describes things using the five senses of sight, taste, touch, smell and hearing. Literal language provides clear-cut descriptions, such as "the dog is an animal." Figurative language includes the use of similes, metaphors, personification, imagery and irony.