monosemy

Thân thiện

A dictionary entry for the word "monosemy" is shown with a single, clear definition.

Definition

Noun: The property of a word, phrase, or symbol having only one distinct meaning. It is the state of being unambiguous, where a single form corresponds to a single sense.

Usage

Monosemy is a linguistic term used to describe lexical items that are not polysemous (having multiple related meanings) or homonymous (having multiple unrelated meanings). It is often discussed in contrast to ambiguity.

Examples

• The technical term "oxygen" is an example of monosemy within the field of chemistry, as it refers specifically to a single chemical element.
• In creating a controlled vocabulary for a database, designers aim for monosemy to ensure each term retrieves precise and consistent information.
• While many common words have multiple meanings, some scientific terms exhibit a high degree of monosemy.

Advanced Usage

• Theoretical Linguistics: The concept of monosemy is debated, as some linguists argue that context always creates shades of meaning, making true monosemy rare outside of highly formalized systems.
• Lexicography: Dictionaries strive to represent words accurately, noting whether a headword demonstrates monosemy or polysemy.

Variants and Related Words

• Monosemous (adjective): Having a single meaning.
  • The symbol "+" is relatively monosemous, primarily denoting addition.
• Polysemy (noun): The coexistence of many possible meanings for a word or phrase.
• Univocity (noun): A similar philosophical term denoting a word's property of having a single, consistent meaning.

Synonyms

• Unambiguity
• Single-meaning property
• Univocality

Antonyms

• Polysemy
• Ambiguity
• Homonymy
• Multivocality

Học thuật

Noun

1. having a single meaning (absence of ambiguity) usually of individual words or phrases