lexicon

noun lex·i·con \ ˈlek-sə-ˌkän also -kən \

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

a computer term that has entered the general lexicon
an avid word enthusiast who is compiling a lexicon of archaic and unusual words

Recent Examples of lexicon from the Web

But thanks to a wave of creative chefs pushing past tradition, and respected Japanese chains eager for expansion, words like izakaya, omakase, and kaiseki have become embedded in our culinary lexicon.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Essential Guide to L.A.’s Best Japanese Food," 28 Aug. 2017
Deutsche Welle reports that along with politics, technology has pushed more English words into the German lexicon.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "The German Language Adds 5,000 New Words," 9 Aug. 2017
This is the crux of how America has allowed the influx of imaginary friends into the political landscape and, thus, political lexicon.

— stephen a. crockett jr., The Root, "From Booker’s T-Bone to Trump’s Jim: How Imaginary Friends Became the Political Norm," 8 Aug. 2017
An instant classic, the film resuscitated a tired genre and added the Ghostface killer to the lexicon of most iconic horror villains.

— julie kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "The 28 Best Halloween Films on Netflix," 21 July 2017
Smoking gun imagery entered the lexicon of American scandals in the final stage of Watergate.

— marc fisher and david nakamura, chicagotribune.com, "Is Donald Trump Jr.'s 'I love it' email a smoking gun or a distraction?," 12 July 2017
Smoking gun imagery entered the lexicon of American scandals in the final stage of Watergate.

— marc fisher, david nakamura, Alaska Dispatch News, "Is Donald Trump Jr.’s ‘I love it’ email a smoking gun or a distraction?," 12 July 2017
The NBA’s 2005 collective bargaining agreement introduced a new term into college basketball’s lexicon: one-and-done.

— tod palmer, kansascity.com, "Mizzou wades into one-and-done waters as NBA weighs change," 4 July 2017
In Kiffin’s recruiting lexicon, the playground player is the athlete your 10-year-old self would reflexively select first when picking teams on the playground.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Where to eat, drink in New York City," 30 June 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1580

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lexicon Synonyms

Synonyms

dictionary, wordbook

Related Words

gloss, glossary, nomenclator, 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

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

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lexicon

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lexicon Synonyms

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LEXICON Defined for English Language Learners

lexicon

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