Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to the words or vocabulary of a language: Pertaining to the individual words or the lexicon of a language, as opposed to its grammar or syntax.
   • Relating to a dictionary or lexicography: Concerning the compilation, study, or use of dictionaries.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • The child showed rapid lexical development, learning many new words each week.
  • A dictionary provides lexical information such as definitions, pronunciations, and parts of speech.
  • The researcher analyzed the lexical differences between the two dialects.

Advanced Usage

• Lexical access: The cognitive process of retrieving a word's meaning, sound, and other information from memory.
  • The speed of lexical access decreases with age.
• Lexical field / semantic field: A set of words grouped by meaning, relating to a specific subject.
  • Words like "oak," "maple," and "pine" belong to the lexical field of trees.
• Lexical item: A single word or a sequence of words that functions as a single unit of meaning (e.g., "kick the bucket" meaning ).
  • Idioms are considered lexical items because their meaning is not literal.

Variants and Related Words

• Lexicon (noun): The vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge; also, a dictionary.
  • The technical lexicon of computer programming can be difficult for beginners.
• Lexicography (noun): The art or practice of writing dictionaries.
  • She studied lexicography to become a dictionary editor.
• Lexicographer (noun): A person who writes or compiles dictionaries.
  • Samuel Johnson was a famous English lexicographer.

Synonyms

• Vocabulary-related: Verbal, word-based.
• Dictionary-related: Lexicographic, lexicographical.

Related Phrases

• Lexical decision task: An experimental procedure used in psycholinguistics where participants must decide whether a string of letters is a real word or a non-word.
  • In the lexical decision task, participants respond faster to common words.
• Lexical ambiguity: The property of a word or phrase having more than one possible meaning.
  • The word "bank" is a classic example of lexical ambiguity.

Adjective

1. of or relating to dictionaries
2. of or relating to words
   • lexical decision task