lexical

adjective

lex·i·cal ˈlek-si-kəl

Synonyms of lexical next

: of or relating to words or the vocabulary of a language as distinguished from its grammar and construction

Our language has many lexical borrowings from other languages.

: of or relating to a lexicon or to lexicography

lexical methods aim to list all the relevant forms—

A. F. Parker-Rhodes

lexicality

ˌlek-sə-ˈka-lə-tē

noun

lexically

ˈlek-si-k(ə-)lē

adverb

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The Wordy History of Lexical

The word lexical and its relatives have a special place in our hearts (and in our dictionaries). In addition to referring to one's personal vocabulary, lexicon can be used as a synonym of dictionary, and the word lexicography refers to the practice of making dictionaries. Both of these words, as well as lexical, come from the Greek word lexis, meaning "word" or "speech." So, if you’re considering a lexical—that is, word-related—career as a wordsmith or, say, a lexicographer, you may want to add these terms to your lexicon.

Examples of lexical in a Sentence

a dictionary provides lexical information—it tells you what the word “cat” means, not all there is to know about cats

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Practically, then, the translator reads with an eye to understanding the affordances offered by a text—to re-creating its potentialities, rather than merely offering a lexical equivalent. —

Max Norman, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024 That lexical undercurrent was at play this week as more than 4,000 researchers, social scientists, and others concerned with the issues of aging gathered here to talk about themes of loneliness, dementia, Medicare, and ... —

Clara Germani, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Nov. 2024 That lexical undercurrent was at play this week as more than 4,000 researchers, social scientists, and others concerned with the issues of aging gathered here to talk about themes of loneliness, dementia, Medicare, and ... Donald Trump (as in, what last week’s presidential victory bodes for all these issues). —

Clara Germani, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Nov. 2024 Because JavaScript interprets each number as a string type and does lexical sorting, not numerical sorting. —

Sheon Han, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lexical