Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

emic

American  
[ee-mik] / ˈi mɪk /

adjective

Linguistics.

  1. pertaining to or being a significant unit that functions in contrast with other units in a language or other system of behavior.

Etymology

Origin of emic

First recorded in 1950–55; extracted from phonemic; coined by U.S. linguist Kenneth L. Pike (1912–2000)

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "emic" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com