phrasing

noun

phras·​ing ˈfrā-ziŋ How to pronounce phrasing (audio)
Synonyms of phrasingnext
1
: style of expression : phraseology
2
: the act, method, or result of grouping notes into musical phrases

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of phrasing in a Sentence

The phrasing of the instructions was confusing. a singer known for her elegant phrasing
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Prompt Development Life Cycle (this is the most common phrasing). — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 As a result, traditional red flags—such as poor grammar or awkward phrasing in scam texts—are becoming less reliable. — Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 Carroll echoed that phrasing in his note, and also highlighted that the services sector, which is much larger than manufacturing, was shown to be contracting in the same report. — Jesse Pound, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025 What This Means For You: If your resume doesn’t include the exact phrasing from the job description, it may be filtered out. — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for phrasing

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of phrasing was in 1611

Rhymes for phrasing

See All Rhymes for phrasing

Browse Nearby Words

phrasing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Phrasing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phrasing. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

phrasing

noun
phras·​ing
ˈfrā-ziŋ
1
: phraseology sense 1
2
: the act, method, or result of grouping notes into musical phrases

More from Merriam-Webster on phrasing

Nglish: Translation of phrasing for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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 More

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

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

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

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

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

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

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
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All