definitions

phrasal

[ frey-zuh l ]
/ ˈfreɪ zəl /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR phrasal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of, consisting of, or of the nature of a phrase or phrases: phrasal construction.

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RELATED WORDS

rhetorical, unwritten, exact, literal, oral, said, stated, verbatim, expressed, lexical, lingual, told

Nearby words

photuria, php, phr., phragmites, phragmoplast, phrasal, phrasal verb, phrasally, phrase, phrase book, phrase marker

Origin of phrasal

First recorded in 1870–75; phrase + -al1
Related formsphras·al·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for phrasal

  • Instances rare in wisdom and phrasal conciseness are to be encountered on every other page of Beaumont.

    Francis Beaumont: Dramatist|Charles Mills Gayley

British Dictionary definitions for phrasal

phrasal

/ (ˈfreɪzəl) /

adjective

of, relating to, or composed of phrases
Derived Formsphrasally, adverb
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

Word Origin and History for phrasal

phrasal

adj.

1871, from phrase (v.) + -al (1). Related: Phrasally.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper