Meaning & Definition of word "Lexical"

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.