lexical meaning

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noun

the meaning of a base morpheme.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

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Compare grammatical meaning.

Origin of lexical meaning

First recorded in 1930–35

Words nearby lexical meaning

lexeme, lexical, lexical decision task, lexical insertion, lexicalize, lexical meaning, lexical order, lexicog., lexicographer, lexicographically, lexicography

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use lexical meaning in a sentence

His discourse is now more detailed: submission, which is the meaning of islam in Arabic, gives him a kind of enjoyment.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But Bush is as exciting to many conservatives as Hillary Clinton is to many progressives, meaning not so much.
The Devil in Mike Huckabee|Dean Obeidallah|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But throughout it all, Ryan learns the true meaning of the holidays and spends it with family.
The Top 10 Nontraditional Christmas TV Episodes|Jace Lacob|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Otherwise, we will be but celebrating an empty holiday, missing its true meaning altogether.
Jesus Wasn’t Born Rich. Think About It.|Gene Robinson|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Over the years, the meaning has evolved, essentially, to “Christmastime,” and describes the period between Dec. 24 and Jan. 6.
The Most Confusing Christmas Music Lyrics Explained (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While they were doing this, he assembled the officers around him, and the meaning of our night march was explained to us.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Is the Bible revelation so clear and explicit that no difference of opinion as to its meaning is possible?
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
John was baptizing at a large pool called Ænon-by-Saleim,—probably allegorical, meaning “Fountain of Repose.”
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
She had left her chair, meaning to go indoors and prepare for supper before Tony actually arrived.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
On the contrary, the full meaning of the act is manifestly opposed to such an idea.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

British Dictionary definitions for lexical meaning

lexical meaning

noun

the meaning of a word in relation to the physical world or to abstract concepts, without reference to any sentence in which the word may occurCompare grammatical meaning, content word

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