lexicon

American  

[lek-si-kon, -kuhn] / ˈlɛk sɪˌkɒn, -kən /

noun

• lexica,
  plural
• lexicons
  plural

1. a wordbook or dictionary, especially of Greek, Latin, or Hebrew.

   Synonyms:

   concordance, gloss, thesaurus, glossary

2. the vocabulary of a particular language, field, social class, person, etc.

3. inventory or record.

   unparalleled in the lexicon of human relations.

4. Linguistics.

   1. the total inventory of morphemes in a given language.

   2. the inventory of base morphemes plus their combinations with derivational morphemes.

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lexicon British  

/ ˈlɛksɪkən /

noun

1. a dictionary, esp one of an ancient language such as Greek or Hebrew

2. a list of terms relating to a particular subject

3. the vocabulary of a language or of an individual

4. linguistics the set of all the morphemes of a language

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lexica
  plural
• lexicons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lexicon

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Modern Latin, from Medieval Greek, Greek lexikòn (biblíon) “word (book),” from lexikón neuter of adjective lexikós “of or pertaining to words” + biblíon “book”; see lexis -ic; see also Bible ( def. )

Explanation

A lexicon is the vocabulary of a language or subject. "No-hitter," "go-ahead run," and "Baltimore chop" are part of the baseball lexicon. Lexicons are really dictionaries, though a lexicon usually covers an ancient language or the special vocabulary of a particular author or field of study. In linguistics, the lexicon is the total stock of words and word elements that carry meaning. Lexicon is from Greek lexikon (biblion) meaning "word(book)," ultimately going back to legein, "to speak."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lexicon lexicons

Digital technology has long been fertile ground for new English idioms, with terms such as “reboot,” “bandwidth” and “downtime” entering the popular lexicon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Over the past decade, the concept of “buckets” has entered the investment-adviser lexicon.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Textualism requires courts to read words in their statutory setting, not as isolated entries in a lexicon.

From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026

He made Danson’s Sam Malone and Long’s Diane Chambers part of our cultural lexicon by styling them as the ultimate will-they-or-won’t-they couple.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026

“I sleep better out here than I usually do,” said Henry, adjusting his glasses and bending back over the lexicon.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker and Fed Governors Christopher Waller and Philip Jefferson in recent weeks have introduced ‘skip’ and ‘skipping’ into Fed-watchers’ lexicons.

From Reuters ● Jun. 7, 2023

Because Rowling is a brilliant and beloved storyteller who is astonishingly good at entering lexicons, manipulating language and telling fantasy stories.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 6, 2023

Whistle lexicons vary, but some standards have emerged.

From New York Times ● May 17, 2022

“Popular threads develop intrinsic behavioral norms, and informal vocabularies or lexicons, which become narrower and narrower,” he told me in an email.

From Slate ● Jan. 24, 2022

Clement C. Moore was a professor in the General Theological Seminary, and while there compiled the first Greek and Hebrew lexicons ever published in this country.

From Literary New York Its Landmarks and Associations by Charles Hemstreet