lexical

adjective

lex·​i·​cal ˈlek-si-kəl 

1

: 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.

2

: 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.

Synonyms

• linguistic
• rhetoric
• verbal
• linguistical
• communicative

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

With the arrival of printing, the new terminology created more opportunities for lexical growth, as did the publishing industry; and the emergence of the internet has produced still more. —David Crystal june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025

The first step in this casts a wide net, pulling in a broad set of candidates by something called a hybrid search (semantic, lexical and structured). —Harini Gopalakrishnan, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

Meanwhile, the lexical field around the second part gravitated around effervescent feelings and light in the designs developed by Vuitton’s high jewelry studio under the direction of Francesca Amfitheatrof, who exited her role as artistic director of watches and jewelry in March. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 27 May 2025

The result is a measurable reduction in lexical, syntactic, and semantic diversity—the very fabric of meaning and precision. —Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

see lexicon

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing lexical

• lexical meaning
• non-lexical

Rhymes for lexical

• indexical

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Kids Definition

lexical

adjective

lex·​i·​cal ˈlek-si-kəl 

: of or relating to words, a vocabulary, or a dictionary