Usagist
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Usagist is a noun meaning (linguistics, rare) One who defines a language by usage rather than theory.
Meaning
(linguistics, rare) One who defines a language by usage rather than theory.
Example Sentences
To hell with the Bard, replied the 19-year-old common usagist; gild the lily is what people say, as I was being frog-marched out of the city room.
The most Talmudic usagists say compare to seeks to show similarity between unlike things: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" or "Can the human brain be compared to a computer?"
Word Forms
- usagists
Synonyms for usagist
Depending on context, synonyms include descriptivist.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include descriptivist, variationist, linguist, sociolinguist, pragmatist, geolinguist.
Related Dictionary Tools
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.