ill-formed
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective: Not grammatical; not conforming to the rules of grammar or accepted usage. It describes language, such as a sentence, phrase, or word, that is structurally incorrect or violates the established conventions of a language.
Usage
The adjective "ill-formed" is primarily used in formal or academic contexts, such as linguistics, language teaching, and computer science (especially in natural language processing). It is a descriptive term used to label a specific instance of language as incorrect. * It is typically used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb). * It often implies that the error makes the construction difficult or impossible to interpret according to standard rules.
Examples
- Attributive use:
- The parser rejected the ill-formed sentence.
- An ill-formed question can confuse the listener.
- Predicative use:
- The expression "between you and I" is considered ill-formed in formal writing.
- Because it lacks a main verb, this clause is ill-formed.
Advanced Usage
- In theoretical linguistics, an utterance violates the syntactic or morphological rules (the "grammar") of a language.
- In computational linguistics, a program may be designed to detect and flag input to improve data processing or user interaction.
Variants and Related Words
- Malformed (adj): This is a more general term meaning badly or abnormally formed. While it can be used for language ("a malformed sentence"), it is more commonly used for physical objects or body parts (e.g., a malformed bone).
- Ungrammatical (adj): This is a direct synonym for "ill-formed" in the context of language. It is slightly more common in everyday linguistic discussion.
Synonyms
- Ungrammatical
- Incorrect
- Nonstandard (in some contexts)
- Faulty
Antonyms
- Well-formed
- Grammatical
- Correct
- Proper
Adjective
- not grammatical; not conforming to the rules of grammar or accepted usage