syntax

American  

[sin-taks] / ˈsɪn tæks /

noun

1. Linguistics. Rarely

   1. the study of the rules and patterns by which sentences and phrases are formed in a language.

   2. the rules or patterns so studied.

      Some people find English syntax hard to master.

   3. a presentation of these rules or patterns.

      His syntax of German is famous in the field.

   4. an instance of these rules or patterns.

      The syntax of that sentence is odd.

2. 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.

3. Logic.

   1. 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.

   2. the outcome of such a study when directed upon a specified language.

4. a system or orderly arrangement.

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syntax British  

/ ˈsɪntæks /

noun

1. 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

2. the totality of facts about the grammatical arrangement of words in a language

3. a systematic statement of the rules governing the grammatical arrangement of words and morphemes in a language

4. logic a systematic statement of the rules governing the properly formed formulas of a logical system

5. any orderly arrangement or system

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syntax Cultural  

1. The sequence in which words are put together to form sentences. In English, the usual sequence is subject, verb, and object.

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Discover More

Syntactic languages, such as English, use word order to indicate word relationships. Inflected languages (see inflection), such as Greek and Latin, use word endings and other inflections to indicate relationships.

Etymology

Origin of syntax

First recorded in 1565–75; short for earlier syntaxis

Explanation

One of the hardest things about learning a new language is figuring out the syntax, or the basic rules for the way that words and phrases should be arranged in a sentence in order for it to make sense. Syntax isn't necessarily something you think about when you're speaking, but the order of words in a sentence can make a huge difference to its meaning. If you aren't convinced, try telling a waiter that you'd like "a slice of dessert for cake." And then, as the waiter stands there looking confused, try explaining that you don't think "important is very syntax."

Example Sentences

"If someone looks closely, they can spot Russian syntax in these videos."

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

“The skill set of the future is not syntax or rote creation, but taste and judgment,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Even the mystery she’s trying to unravel depends on correctly parsing the meaning of syntax and conjugation.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026

I would also hate it if a photo of me “disappeared” my hair or captured me from “underneath angles,” famously the worst angles, and goddammit, Trump has once again gifted us some incredible syntax here.

From Slate • Oct. 14, 2025

When enough careful writers and speakers fail to do something that a pencil-and-paper analysis of syntax says they should, it may mean that it’s the pencil-and-paper analysis that is wrong, not the speakers and writers.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker