phrasing

noun

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

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.
That phrasing raised two difficult questions, acknowledges Kasisomayajula Viswanath, a researcher at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health who chairs the committee: When is something a consensus? Bykai Kupferschmidt, science.org, 31 Oct. 2024 But that phrasing leaves out a part of his comment that significantly changes what Hovde was saying. Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2024 To help people come up with just the right phrasing, Spoonful of Comfort’s website includes plenty of potential messages to spark personalized notes. Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024 The phrasing of a land acknowledgment can sometimes put Indigenous people in the context of history, rather than in the present, said Michaela Madrid, the program director at Native Governance Center and a citizen of Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. Shafaq Patel, Axios, 11 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near phrasing

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

phrasing

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

More from Merriam-Webster on phrasing

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