free variation
noun
: use or usability in the same environment by different speakers or in different utterances of linguistic items that are perceptually different but semantically the same and idiomatically normal (as using either an unreleased or a released \t\ in cat or using either \wit͟h\ or \with\ for with)
Dictionary Entries Near free variation
Cite this Entry
“Free variation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20variation. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share