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

A: Syntax errors in emails are reported when the address in a sent email is incorrectly formatted.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 12, 2022

Syntax has to do with the mechanics of putting a sentence together.

From Economist • May 24, 2018

Swed jogged up to San Francisco for an event that was all about the joys of unintelligible sound: "Sound Poetry: The Wages of Syntax," featuring performances by Enzo Minarelli, Jaap Blonk and Michael McClure.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2018

Other books published by members of the group had titles such as “The General Theory of Knowledge” and “The Logical Syntax of Language” and “The Scientific Worldview.”

From Washington Post • Jan. 5, 2018

Syntax, then, is an app that uses a tree of phrases to translate a web of thoughts into a string of words.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker