Main Entry: lex·i·cal·i·za·tion

Pronunciation: \ˌlek-si-kə-lə-ˈzā-shən\

Function: noun

Date: 1949

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

— lex·i·cal·ize \ˈlek-si-kə-ˌlīz\ transitive verb