lexeme

noun

lex·​eme ˈlek-ˌsēm How to pronounce lexeme (audio)
: a meaningful linguistic unit that is an item in the vocabulary of a language
lexemic
lek-ˈsē-mik How to pronounce lexeme (audio)
adjective

Word History

Etymology

Greek lexis word, speech + English -eme — more at lexicon

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lexeme was in 1938

Dictionary Entries Near lexeme

lex domicilii

lexeme

lex generalis

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Lexeme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lexeme. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on lexeme

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lexeme

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...