Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

lexicon

noun lex·i·con \ ˈlek-sə-ˌkän also -kən \
Updated on: 17 May 2018
See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

Definition of lexicon

plural lexica play \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

See lexicon defined for English-language learners

See lexicon defined for kids

Examples of lexicon in a Sentence

  1. a computer term that has entered the general lexicon

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

Recent Examples of lexicon from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lexicon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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").

Origin and Etymology of lexicon

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

lexicon Synonyms

Synonyms

dictionary, wordbook;

Related Words

gloss, glossary, thesaurus, vocabulary;

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

LEXICON Defined for English Language Learners

lexicon

noun

Definition of lexicon for English Language Learners

  • : the words used in a language or by a person or group of people

Learn More about lexicon

  1. See words that rhyme with lexicon Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lexicon Spanish Central: Translation of lexicon Nglish: Translation of lexicon for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lexicon for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lexicon

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up lexicon? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

cajole

play

to coax or persuade

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. embolization 'the process by which a blood vessel or organ is obstructed by a material mass'

  2. oleaginous 'marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality'

  3. pansexual 'sexual desire or attraction...not limited to a particular gender identity or sexual orientation'

  4. symbiote 'an organism living in symbiosis'

  5. charlatan 'faker or fraud'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

lexicon

Test Your Vocabulary

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

  • spring-flowers
  • Which is a synonym of raillery?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-5b05d8545c817
'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

Tag the way you want to tag.

image564383649
12 Words from All Over the Map

Some words say exactly where they're from

alt-5b032d1aef0e9
'Ingenious' and 'Ingenuous': More Than a Typo

One's clever, the other's like a child

alt-5b0310daaafde
A Matter-of-Fact Look at 'Deadpan'

Surely we can be serious.

Ask the Editors

video-ghost-words
Ghost Word

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors and enter the dictionary.

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

spring-flowers
May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

We’re already at the end of May?!

Take the quiz
image1676440788
Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

How familiar are you with Nabokov’s unfamiliar vocabulary?

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game
Examples: lexicon in a Sentence
Editor's Note: Tips on Using lexicon in a Sentence