Meaning & Definition of word "Lexical"
to
Lexical
/ˈlɛksɪkəl/
adjective:
- 1. Relating to the words or vocabulary of a language.
- Example: The lexical choices made by the author greatly influence the tone of the narrative.
- 2. Pertaining to the lexicon or dictionary of a language.
- Example: The lexical analysis revealed that the text contained a rich variety of synonyms.
- 3. Concerned with the meaning of words.
- Example: The lexical semantics of the word 'bank' can refer to the financial institution or the side of a river.
- 4. Describing the formal structure of language at the level of words.
- Example: The study focused on lexical patterns in bilingual speakers.
- 5. Of or relating to the vocabulary of a particular subject.
- Example: Her research included an examination of the lexical field of botany.
Etymology
From the Greek 'lexikon', meaning 'word' or 'dictionary'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
lexical gap:
A situation where a certain concept does not have a specific term in the language.
lexical field:
A set of words grouped by meaning referring to a specific subject.
lexical semantics:
The study of how and what the words of a language denote.
Related Words
lexicon:
The complete set of meaningful units in a language.
morpheme:
The smallest grammatical unit in a language.
semantics:
The study of meaning in language.
Slang Meanings of lexical
Meaning: Lex
Example Sentence: In our talk about words, let's keep it 'lex' and focus on vocabulary.
Meaning: Lexicalize
Example Sentence: When you fully lexicalize the term, you're making it a common part of speech.