lexicon

noun

lex·​i·​con ˈlek-sə-ˌkän 

 also  -kən

plural lexica ˈlek-sə-kə  or lexicons

1

: a book containing an alphabetical arrangement of the words in a language and their definitions : dictionary

a French lexicon

2

a

: the vocabulary of a language, an individual speaker or group of speakers, or a subject

computer terms that have been added to the lexicon

b

: the total stock of morphemes in a language

3

: repertoire, inventory

added the DVD to his video lexicon

Did you know?

Tips on Using Lexicon in a Sentence

The word lexicon has a number of closely-related meanings, which can easily lead to confusion and may cause the word to be used in an awkward way. Lexicon can refer to a general dictionary of a language (as in "a lexicon of the Hebrew language") and also to a narrower printed compilation of words within some sphere (as in "a medical lexicon" or "a lexicon of the German in Finnegans Wake").

Similarly, lexicon can refer both to the vocabulary of a specific group of people ("the lexicon of French") or to the general language used by an unspecified group of people ("a word that has not entered the general lexicon yet"). It may also often be found in reference to the vocabulary employed by a particular speaker ("'Failure' is not a word in my lexicon").

Synonyms

• dictionary
• wordbook

Examples of lexicon in a Sentence

a computer term that has entered the general lexicon

an avid word enthusiast who is compiling a lexicon of archaic and unusual words

Recent Examples on the Web

Almost exactly two years ago, a splashy feature in the New York Times introduced the arrival of the Hype House, a collective of mostly white, attractive teenagers who had recently become famous on an app that was only just beginning to be part of the national lexicon. —Vox Staff, Vox, 10 Jan. 2025

Image ‘Eureka Day’ Mansplaining, virtue signaling and new-age parlance set the lexicon for Jonathan Spector’s hilarious play about a progressive preschool rocked by a vaccination debate. —Rachel Sherman, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024

Subsequent research has found large olfactory lexicons in at least forty other languages, among them Fang, Khmer, Swahili, and Zapotec. —Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024

Chalamet, by contrast, persuasively reminds his audience that Dylan, though lacking personal charm, managed to create a new sound and a new lexicon for his generation. —Peter Bart, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Greek lexikon, from neuter of lexikos of words, from Greek lexis word, speech, from legein to say — more at legend

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lexicon

noun

lex·​i·​con ˈlek-sə-ˌkän 

-si-kən

: dictionary sense 1