Definition of SYNTAX

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Syntax is basically about what word comes before and after another word; in other words, it's part of the larger subject of grammar. Syntax is often an issue in poetry, and it's usually discussed in connection with diction—that is, the poet's choice of words. So, for example, your English professor might point out the syntactic difference between "Whose woods these are I think I know" and "I think I know whose woods these are;" whereas if the discussion was about diction instead, the question might be about the choice of "woods" rather than "land", or "think" rather than "bet".

Examples of syntax in a Sentence

Everyone has good days and bad days. Her syntax is sometimes a world unto itself. But George H.W. Bush occasionally sounded as though English were more foe than friend, and he was an astute president who managed complexity with skill and balance. —Jon Meacham, Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2008 Coming from a great distance and wholly unrelated to the Teutonic, Latin and Slav languages that fence it in, Hungarian has remained miraculously intact. Everything about the language is different, not only the words themselves, but the way they are formed, the syntax and grammar and above all the cast of mind that brought them into being. —Patrick Leigh Fermor, Between the Woods and the Water, 1986 “I saw that she a cookie ate” is an example of incorrect syntax.

Recent Examples on the Web

Dirty Couple Game Awkward name syntax aside, this is a perfect early-relationship game—like an icebreaker for new couples. — Rebecca Reid, Marie Claire, "I Tried 11 Sex Apps to Spice Up My Marriage," 11 July 2018 That gorillas lack syntax should not blind humans to their magnificence. — The Economist, "What Koko the gorilla could and couldn’t do," 5 July 2018 Mr Chomsky has changed his mind repeatedly on what constitutes the core of human language, but one obvious candidate is syntax—rules, not just words, which allow the construction of a huge variety of meaningful utterances. — The Economist, "What Koko the gorilla could and couldn’t do," 5 July 2018 And without confirming anything, his hypothetical syntax further hints a move is on the cards. — SI.com, "Cristiano Ronaldo's Agent Chimes in on Speculation Star Will Leave Real Madrid," 5 July 2018 Most agree that the icons are not quite a language—the emoji vocabulary is made up almost entirely of nouns, and there’s no real grammar or syntax to govern their use—but their influence on internet communication is massive. — Arielle Pardes, WIRED, "Academics Gathered to Share Emoji Research, and It Was 🔥," 27 June 2018 Both saxophonists evoke the concise, often clipped, syntax of Mr. Threadgill’s playing without resorting to mimicry: Mr. Filiú (who also plays alto flute) with an urgent intensity, and Mr. Macdonald through more of a narrative arc. — Larry Blumenfeld, WSJ, "‘Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus’ and ‘Dirt… and More Dirt’ Reviews," 22 May 2018 But the Navajo language's syntax and linguistics are particularly tricky for non-Navajo, and it is not written. — Jessica Campisi And Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN, "One of the last remaining Navajo code talkers has died," 12 June 2018 Your tone question demands that vocabulary, syntax, allusions, and all the components of voice are apt for your subject, your occasion, your publication or organization, and your audience. — John E. Mcintyre, baltimoresun.com, "Secrets of editing revealed!," 30 May 2018

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