syntax

noun

syn·​tax ˈsin-ˌtaks 

1

a

: the way in which linguistic elements (such as words) are put together to form constituents (such as phrases or clauses)

b

: the part of grammar dealing with this

2

: a connected or orderly system : harmonious arrangement of parts or elements

the syntax of classical architecture

3

: syntactics especially as dealing with the formal properties of languages or calculi

Did you know?

Syntax is basically about what word comes before and after another word; in other words, it's part of the larger subject of grammar. Syntax is often an issue in poetry, and it's usually discussed in connection with diction—that is, the poet's choice of words. So, for example, your English professor might point out the syntactic difference between "Whose woods these are I think I know" and "I think I know whose woods these are;" whereas if the discussion was about diction instead, the question might be about the choice of "woods" rather than "land", or "think" rather than "bet".

Examples of syntax in a Sentence

Everyone has good days and bad days. Her syntax is sometimes a world unto itself. But George H.W. Bush occasionally sounded as though English were more foe than friend, and he was an astute president who managed complexity with skill and balance. —Jon Meacham, Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2008

Coming from a great distance and wholly unrelated to the Teutonic, Latin and Slav languages that fence it in, Hungarian has remained miraculously intact. Everything about the language is different, not only the words themselves, but the way they are formed, the syntax and grammar and above all the cast of mind that brought them into being. —Patrick Leigh Fermor, Between the Woods and the Water, 1986

“I saw that she a cookie ate” is an example of incorrect syntax.

Recent Examples on the Web

Another component would be like syntax, or sequencing of sounds with some rules. —Janna Levin, Quanta Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024

This is not a good match to Computer Science education, particularly in K-12, where the focus is on deep understanding of programming language syntax, structure, and the writing from scratch of precisely correct, small, standalone programs. —Nisha Talagala, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

There’s something off about the syntax of those sentences, not to mention the logic. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 22 Nov. 2024

Studio code on a tiny touch screen isn’t the optimal way to write hundreds of lines of precise technical syntax, no matter how streamlined the editor is. —Jordan Minor, PCMAG, 11 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French sintaxe, from Late Latin syntaxis, from Greek, from syntassein to arrange together, from syn- + tassein to arrange

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

syntax

noun

syn·​tax ˈsin-ˌtaks 

: the way in which words are put together to form phrases, clauses, or sentences