lexicalization

noun

lex·​i·​cal·​i·​za·​tion ˌlek-si-kə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

1

: the realization of a meaning in a single word or morpheme rather than in a grammatical construction

2

: the treatment of a formerly freely composed, grammatically regular, and semantically transparent phrase or inflected form as a formally or semantically idiomatic expression

lexicalize

ˈlek-si-kə-ˌlīz 

transitive verb

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined at sense 1