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polysemy

Pronunciation: /ˈpɒlɪsiːmi, pəˈlɪsɪmi/

Definition of polysemy

noun

[mass noun] Linguistics
  • the coexistence of many possible meanings for a word or phrase.

Derivatives

polysemic

Pronunciation: /-ˈsiːmɪk/

adjective

polysemous

Pronunciation: /-ˈsiːməs/

adjective

Origin:

early 20th century: from poly- 'many' + Greek sēma 'sign'

polysemy in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of polysemy in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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