syntax
Rarely syntaxis .Linguistics.
the study of the rules and patterns by which sentences and phrases are formed in a language.
the rules or patterns so studied: Some people find English syntax hard to master.
a presentation of these rules or patterns: His syntax of German is famous in the field.
an instance of these rules or patterns: The syntax of that sentence is odd.
Computers. the grammatical rules and structural patterns governing the ordered use of appropriate words and symbols for issuing commands, writing code, etc., in a particular software application or programming language.
Logic.
the branch of modern logic that studies the various kinds of signs that occur in a system and the possible arrangements of those signs, without reference to their meaning.
the outcome of such a study when directed upon a specified language.
a system or orderly arrangement.
Origin of syntax
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for syntax
/ (ˈsɪntæks) /
the branch of linguistics that deals with the grammatical arrangement of words and morphemes in the sentences of a language or of languages in general
the totality of facts about the grammatical arrangement of words in a language
a systematic statement of the rules governing the grammatical arrangement of words and morphemes in a language
logic a systematic statement of the rules governing the properly formed formulas of a logical system
any orderly arrangement or system
Origin of syntax
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for syntax
Notes for syntax
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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