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Lexical: meaning, definitions and examples

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lexical

 

[ ˈlɛksɪkəl ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

linguistics field

Lexical refers to the words or vocabulary of a language, which are essential for communication. It pertains to the mental dictionary that speakers of a language possess, including knowledge of the meanings and usage of words.

Synonyms

terminology, vocabulary, word.

Examples of usage

  • The lexical choices made by the author contributed to the poem's depth.
  • Linguists study lexical items to understand language structure.
  • In language acquisition, children develop their lexical repertoire rapidly.
Context #2 | Adjective

grammar context

In grammar, lexical refers to content words as opposed to functional words. It indicates the substantive words in a language that carry meaning, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives, unlike articles or conjunctions.

Synonyms

content, substantial.

Examples of usage

  • She focused on the lexical aspects of the sentence during her analysis.
  • Understanding lexical categories helps in parsing sentences.
  • The lexical gap in the translation created confusion.

Translations

Translations of the word "lexical" in other languages:

🇵🇹 lexical

🇮🇳 शब्दकोशीय

🇩🇪 lexikal

🇮🇩 leksikal

🇺🇦 лексичний

🇵🇱 leksykalny

🇯🇵 語彙の

🇫🇷 lexical

🇪🇸 léxico

🇹🇷 dilsel

🇰🇷 어휘의

🇸🇦 معجمي

🇨🇿 lexikální

🇸🇰 lexikálny

🇨🇳 词汇的

🇸🇮 leksikalni

🇮🇸 orðfræðilegur

🇰🇿 лексикалық

🇬🇪 ლექსიკური

🇦🇿 leksik

🇲🇽 léxico

Etymology

The term 'lexical' originates from the Greek word 'lexis,' which means 'word' or 'speech.' This root can be traced back to the ancient Greek language, emphasizing the importance of words in communication. The evolution of 'lexical' through Latin and into Modern English demonstrates a consistent focus on the written and spoken word. In the contemporary linguistic context, 'lexical' has become a key term in understanding semantics, morphology, and syntax—the foundational elements of language studies. As language evolved, the concept of lexicon expanded to encapsulate the vast array of words available in a language, which ultimately led to the formalized use of 'lexical' in academic and educational discussions about language and linguistics.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #10,874, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.