lexeme: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Academic, Technical
Quick answer
What does “lexeme” mean?
The fundamental unit of meaning in a language, a word or phrase considered as an abstract element of the vocabulary, independent of its various inflected forms.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The fundamental unit of meaning in a language, a word or phrase considered as an abstract element of the vocabulary, independent of its various inflected forms.
In computational linguistics and lexicography, a lexeme is often the canonical or dictionary form under which related word forms (like 'run', 'runs', 'ran', 'running') are grouped. It represents a pairing of a specific form with a specific meaning.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The term is a technical one used identically in linguistics worldwide.
Connotations
None; purely a technical term.
Frequency
Extremely rare in everyday speech. Used with equal frequency in academic linguistics in both the UK and US.
Grammar
How to Use “lexeme” in a Sentence
The lexeme [VERB] takes a direct object.Analysing the sentence involves identifying its core lexemes.[LEXEME] is realised by several surface forms.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “lexeme” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Linguists aim to lexemise the corpus data.
- The software can lexemise irregular verbs correctly.
American English
- The first step is to lexemize all word tokens.
- How does the algorithm lexemize 'went'?
adverb
British English
- The forms are related lexemically.
- The data was sorted lexemically.
American English
- Words can be grouped lexemically.
- The system processes text lexemically first.
adjective
British English
- The lexemic analysis revealed patterns.
- This is a lexemic, not a phonological, difference.
American English
- We need a lexemic database for the project.
- The lexemic index is in the appendix.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Central term in linguistics, morphology, and computational lexicography. Used in research papers and textbooks.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would only be used when explaining language concepts in detail.
Technical
Essential in natural language processing (NLP) for tasks like lemmatisation, where word forms are reduced to their base lexeme.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “lexeme”
- Using 'lexeme' interchangeably with 'word' in everyday conversation, which sounds overly pedantic.
- Confusing 'lexeme' with 'lemma'; a lemma is the chosen representative form (e.g., 'run') of a lexeme, not the abstract unit itself.
- Pronouncing it as /ˈliːk.siːm/ (like 'lexicon') instead of /ˈlɛk.siːm/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. In linguistics, a 'word' can refer to a specific surface form (like 'ran'). A lexeme is the abstract vocabulary item that underlies a set of related forms (RUN for 'run', 'runs', 'ran', 'running').
A lexeme is the abstract unit of meaning. A lemma is the specific, canonical form chosen to represent that lexeme in a dictionary or database (e.g., the infinitive 'to run' or the base form 'run' is the lemma for the lexeme RUN).
Yes. Multi-word expressions that function as a single unit of meaning, such as 'kick the bucket' (meaning 'to die') or 'hard drive', can be considered phrasal lexemes or multi-word lexemes.
Primarily linguists, lexicographers (dictionary writers), and computer scientists working in natural language processing (NLP). It is not a term used in everyday conversation.
The fundamental unit of meaning in a language, a word or phrase considered as an abstract element of the vocabulary, independent of its various inflected forms.
Lexeme is usually formal, academic, technical in register.
Lexeme: in British English it is pronounced /ˈlɛk.siːm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈlɛk.sim/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No idioms exist for this technical term.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of LEXEME as the LEXicon's MEMber. It's the official member (the core idea) in your mental dictionary, and all its different outfits (run, runs, ran) are just variations of that one member.
Conceptual Metaphor
A FAMILY: The lexeme is the family name (e.g., 'RUN'), and the individual word forms ('runs', 'ran') are the family members.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a 'lexeme'?