diachronic

American

[dahy-uh-kron-ik] / ˌdaɪ əˈkrɒn ɪk /

adjective

Linguistics.

of or relating to the changes in a linguistic system between successive points in time; historical.

diachronic analysis.

diachronic British

/ ˌdaɪəˈkrɒnɪk /

adjective

of, relating to, or studying the development of a phenomenon through time; historical Compare synchronic

diachronic linguistics

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

diachronically adverb
diachronicness noun

Etymology

Origin of diachronic

1925–30; < French diachronique (term introduced by F. de Saussure); dia-, chronic

Compare meaning

How does diachronic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

synchronic vs. diachronic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In a publication, to appear soon, it is argued that both the syntax of subordination and negation systems in Tonya show different patterns and thus diachronic development from the Çaykara variety.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023