syllabic

[ si-lab-ik ]

/ sɪˈlæb ɪk /

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adjective

of, relating to, or consisting of a syllable or syllables.

pronounced with careful distinction of syllables.

of, relating to, or noting poetry based on a specific number of syllables, as distinguished from poetry depending on stresses or quantities.

(of chanting) having each syllable sung to one note only.

Phonetics.

(of a consonant) forming a syllable by itself, as the (n) in button [buht-n] /ˈbʌt n/ or the (l) in bottle [bot-l]. /ˈbɒt l/.
(of a vowel) dominating the other sounds in a syllable; sonantal.

noun

Phonetics. a syllabic sound.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of syllabic

1720–30; <Late Latin syllabicus<Greek syllabikós.See syllable, -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM syllabic

syl·lab·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby syllabic

syli, syll., syllabarium, syllabary, syllabi, syllabic, syllabicate, syllabicity, syllabify, syllabism, syllabize

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

How to use syllabic in a sentence

Hence, both the Vey and the Cherokee, the two latest coinages in the way of alphabets, are both syllabic.
The Ethnology of the British Colonies and Dependencies|Robert Gordon Latham
In prism, schism the m may have syllabic value; it then does the work usually performed by a vowel.
The Sounds of Spoken English|Walter Rippmann
In English, the syllable is generally carried by vowels; sometimes also by liquids and nasals, which are then called syllabic.
The Sounds of Spoken English|Walter Rippmann
No letters can represent the nasal intonation of this syllabic inquiry, and no words the supreme indifference of the boy's tone.
Corporal Cameron|Ralph Connor

"To Morvah," explained Enid, with a syllabic emphasis meant for one pair of ears.
The Pillar of Light|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for syllabic

syllabic

/ (sɪˈlæbɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to syllables or the division of a word into syllables

denoting a kind of verse line based on a specific number of syllables rather than being regulated by stresses or quantities

(of a consonant) constituting a syllable

(of plainsong and similar chanting) having each syllable sung to a different note

noun

a syllabic consonant

Derived forms of syllabic

syllabically, 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