lexicalize

American  

[lek-si-kuh-lahyz] / ˈlɛk sɪ kəˌlaɪz /

especially British, lexicalise

verb (used with object)

Linguistics.

lexicalized, lexicalizing

1. to convert (an affix, a phrase, etc.) into a lexical item, as in using the suffix -ism as the noun ism.

2. to represent (a set of semantic features) by a lexical item.

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lexicalize British  

/ ˈlɛksɪkəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. linguistics to form (a word or lexeme) or (of a word or lexeme) to be formed from constituent morphemes, words, or lexemes, as to form cannot from can and not

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Other Word Forms

• lexicalization noun

Etymology

Origin of lexicalize

First recorded in 1935–40; lexical + -ize