JISUPOSTEnglish
ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Syntax

/ˈsɪn.tæks/ · noun

Meaning

A set of rules that govern how words are combined to form phrases and sentences..

Definitions by Sense

  1. A set of rules that govern how words are combined to form phrases and sentences.
  2. (computing, countable) The formal rules of formulating the statements of a computer language.
  3. (linguistics) The study of the structure of phrases, sentences, and language.

Example Sentences

The incorporation of a rule of V MOVEMENT into our description of English Syntax turns out to have fundamental theoretical implications for our overall Theory of Grammar: it means that we are no longer able to posit that the syntactic structure of a sentence can be described in terms of a single Phrase-marker representing its S-structure. For, the postulation of a rule of V-MOVEMENT means that we must recognise at least two different levels of structure in our Theory of Grammar — namely, a level of D-structure (formerly known as ‘Deep Structureʼ) which serves as input to the rule, and a separate level of S-structure which is formed by application of the rule.
[Otto] Jespersen, a language professor known for his expertise in syntax and language development, stated that headlinese is not really grammatical writing.

Synonyms for syntax

Antonyms for syntax

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Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does syntax mean?

Syntax means A set of rules that govern how words are combined to form phrases and sentences..

What is a synonym for syntax?

Common synonyms include syntaxis, phrase structure, sentence structure.

What is the opposite of syntax?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use syntax in a sentence?

The incorporation of a rule of V MOVEMENT into our description of English Syntax turns out to have fundamental theoretical implications for our overall Theory of Grammar: it means that we are no longer able to posit that the syntactic structure of a sentence can be described in terms of a single Phrase-marker representing its S-structure. For, the postulation of a rule of V-MOVEMENT means that we must recognise at least two different levels of structure in our Theory of Grammar — namely, a level of D-structure (formerly known as ‘Deep Structureʼ) which serves as input to the rule, and a separate level of S-structure which is formed by application of the rule.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.