Definition

1. Adverb:
   • In a manner relating to syntax: The word describes something done or considered according to the rules or structure of sentence formation in a language. It refers to the grammatical arrangement of words and phrases.

Usage

The adverb "syntactically" is used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to specify that the action or quality is related to grammatical structure. It is commonly used in linguistic analysis and grammar discussions. - It typically precedes an adjective (e.g., syntactically correct) or follows a verb (e.g., analyze syntactically).

Examples

• The sentence is syntactically complex but semantically clear.
• A parser checks if a sentence is syntactically well-formed.
• The two phrases are syntactically equivalent, though they use different words.
• The computer program was designed to process text syntactically.

Advanced Usage

• Syntactically speaking: Used to introduce a statement from the perspective of sentence structure.
  • Syntactically speaking, this clause functions as an adverbial modifier.
• Syntactically independent: Describes a unit of language that can stand alone grammatically.
  • The phrase is not syntactically independent; it requires a main clause.

Variants and Related Words

• Syntactic (adjective): Pertaining to syntax.
  • We studied the syntactic rules of the language.
• Syntax (noun): The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.
  • The syntax of this ancient text is difficult to decipher.

Synonyms

• Grammatically: With respect to grammar (often used in a broader sense than syntax, which is a subset of grammar).
• Structurally: In terms of structure (can be used in a wider, non-linguistic context).

Related Phrases

• Syntactically ill-formed: Not conforming to the rules of sentence structure.
  • The utterance was syntactically ill-formed and hard to understand.
• Syntactically ambiguous: Having a structure that allows for more than one interpretation.
  • The famous phrase "I saw the man with the telescope" is syntactically ambiguous.

Adverb

1. with respect to syntax
   • syntactically ill-formed