Lexis

//ˈlɛksɪs// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The set of all words and phrases in a language; any unified subset of words from a particular language. countable, uncountable

    "Thus, alongside current lexis, words and senses now obsolete find a place in a dictionary on historical principles."

  2. 2
    all of the words in a language; all word forms having meaning or grammatical function wordnet
  3. 3
    Words, collocations, and common phrases in a language; vocabulary and word combinations. countable, uncountable

    "By the 1980s, English language teachers generally had begun to realize that there had been a neglect of lexis in teaching methods and coursebooks. […] The basic truth that without vocabulary or lexis we can't express anything had to be restated and a new approach to teaching lexis was needed."

  4. 4
    The vocabulary used by a writer. countable, uncountable

    "In this broadsheet newspaper, the reporter uses a complicated and formal lexis which I find hard to understand."

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek λέξις (léxis, “speech, word”).

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