grammatical
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to grammar.
grammatical analysis.
-
conforming to standard usage.
grammatical speech.
adjective
-
of or relating to grammar
-
(of a sentence) well formed; regarded as correct and acceptable by native speakers of the language
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of grammatical
1520–30; < Latin grammatic ( us ) (< Greek grammatikós knowing one's letters, equivalent to grammat-, stem of grámma letter + -ikos -ic ) + -al 1
Explanation
If your know-it-all friend advises you not to say, "Me and John went...," she is giving you grammatical advice. In other words, she's correcting your terrible grammar. (BTW, it should be "John and I...") The adjective grammatical comes up most often in English classes, since it describes anything having to do with parts of speech, syntax, and other elements of a well-written sentence. The Latin root word is grammaticalis, meaning "of a scholar," which in turn comes from the word grammaticus, "pertaining to grammar." If you're an authority on the English language, you can feel free to describe yourself as a grammatical scholar.
Vocabulary lists containing grammatical
A Lesson Before Dying
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
SHSAT: Language of the Test
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
gram
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
These include word order preferences, such as whether verbs come before or after objects, and hierarchical structures, such as how grammatical relationships are marked within sentences.
From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026
“I wish you had let me review before sending…the grammatical errors and spelling mistakes will make it at least harder for early admission,” Epstein wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
One of the reasons Yautja has no grammatical gender is because that was most practical.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2025
But those who were contacted eventually questioned the source of information when the impersonator asked for a cash transfer and began to make grammatical errors or use language that did not seem consistent with Wiles’.
From Salon • May 30, 2025
Well, that attitude can get you tossed into grammatical purgatory.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
