lexicalize

- 2 dictionary results

lex⋅i⋅cal⋅ize

[lek-si-kuh-lahyz]

–verb (used with object), -ized, -iz⋅ing. Linguistics.

1.	to convert (an affix, a phrase, etc.) into a lexical item, as in using the suffix -ism as the noun ism.

2.	to represent (a set of semantic features) by a lexical item.

Also, especially British, lex⋅i⋅cal⋅ise.

Origin:
1935–40; lexical + -ize

Related forms:

lex⋅i⋅cal⋅i⋅za⋅tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source

lexicalize
verb
make or coin into a word or accept a new word into the lexicon of a language; "The concept expressed by German 'Gemuetlichkeit' is not lexicalized in English"

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