content word

American  

noun

1. a word, typically a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb, that carries semantic content, bearing reference to the world independently of its use within a particular sentence (distinguished from function word).

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content word British  

/ ˈkɒntɛnt /

noun

1. a word to which an independent meaning can be given by reference to a world outside any sentence in which the word may occur Compare function word lexical meaning

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Etymology

Origin of content word

First recorded in 1935–40