as in linguistic
of or relating to words or language
a dictionary provides lexical information—it tells you what the word "cat" means, not all there is to know about cats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lexical
The lexical gap, where untranslatable words are found in one language but not others, can be easily filled by simply borrowing these words, OED executive editor Danica Salazar wrote in the update.
—
Peter Guo, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
Russian speakers in the experiment proved faster than English speakers at distinguishing shades that corresponded to that lexical distinction.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Practically, then, the translator reads with an eye to understanding the affordances offered by a text—to re-creating its potentialities, rather than merely offering a lexical equivalent.
—Max Norman, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
That lexical undercurrent was at play this week as more than 4,000 researchers, social scientists, and others concerned with the issues of aging gathered here to talk about themes of loneliness, dementia, Medicare, and ...
—Clara Germani, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lexical
Peter Guo, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
Russian speakers in the experiment proved faster than English speakers at distinguishing shades that corresponded to that lexical distinction.
—Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Practically, then, the translator reads with an eye to understanding the affordances offered by a text—to re-creating its potentialities, rather than merely offering a lexical equivalent.
—Max Norman, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
That lexical undercurrent was at play this week as more than 4,000 researchers, social scientists, and others concerned with the issues of aging gathered here to talk about themes of loneliness, dementia, Medicare, and ...
—Clara Germani, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lexical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lexical
Adjective
-
Luckily, there were a few people involved who were linguistic nerds.—
Reece Rogers,
Wired News,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The technology seamlessly integrates multilingual functionality, instantly adapting to students’ preferred languages for input and output, thereby breaking down linguistic barriers often impeding learning.—
Ray Ravaglia,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Nickens, a four-star football recruit and three-star recruit in hoops by 247sports.com, chose KU over Georgia, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and California, after initially giving a verbal commitment to in-state school Oklahoma.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2025
-
There is also truth behind Blues coach Jim Montgomery’s series of verbal daggers after Game 4.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Open, warm, and highly communicative, Chauffe, who performs as hemlock, has made a name for herself around the country by embracing a free-spirited and loose approach to her music and her everyday life.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Image The accusations, however, that the institution’s leaders are neither approachable nor communicative will linger after Mr. Hill’s departure.—
Christopher Maag,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lexical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lexical. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share