Meanings
plural lexica · plural lexicons
- The vocabulary of a language.
Formalism seeks to correct this deficiency by translating verbal texts into formal, mathematizable lexicons which are then manipulated into general propositions.
1979, Charles C. Lemert, “Language, Structure, and Measurement: Structuralist Semiotics and Sociology”, in The American Journal of Sociology, volume 84, number 4, page 944Synonyms: word-hoard, word-stock
- human sciencesA dictionary that includes or focuses on lexemes.
Sluiter examines a tension inherent in such scholarly works as lexica, scholia, epitomai, and commentaries: although the very titles of these works claim no more than secondary status, their authors engage nonetheless in a rhetoric of self-legitimation.
2000, Mary Depew, Dirk Obbink, Matrices of Genre: Authors, Canons, and Society, Harvard University Press, →ISBN, page 10, →ISBNSynonyms: wordbook
- computingThe lexicology of a programming language. (Usually called lexical structure.)
- rareAny dictionary.
- The vocabulary used by or known to an individual. (Also called lexical knowledge.)
- A set of vocabulary specific to a certain subject.
the baseball lexicon
1 more example
Turns, twists, walks, runs, falls, and somersaults, along with many other movements, are the specific vocabularic elements which make up the lexicon of dance.
2002, Robert Wuthnow, Vocabularies Of Public Life, page 171
present singular third person lexicons · participle present lexiconing · participle past lexiconed · past lexiconed
- transitiveTo add to a lexicon.
Vocab-wise, medalling and PB-ing are now totally part-and-parcelled, and most experts in South Korea believe podiumed, finalled and all-comered are not far off lexiconing.
2011 September 1, Harry Pearson, “London 2012 can legacy by verbing the noun”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 22 Sep 2024 - broadcastingTo shorten a soundtrack to fit a shortened version of a movie.
Mrazek’s legislation would discourage time compression, a technique used to speed up a movie, and “lexiconing,” a process of altering the soundtrack to match the shorter, compressed version.
1991 July 26, Beth Hawkins, “A Call for Legal Action Against Film Alterations : Movies: Six prominent filmmakers join a N.Y. congressman in asking for warning labels if a film has been ‘colorized,’ ‘lexiconed’ or compressed.”, in Los Angeles Times, archived from the original on 21 Jan 2022
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe vocabulary of a language.
nounA dictionary that includes or focuses on lexemes.
nounA list thereof.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna language user's knowledge of words
nouna reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*leǵ-“to gather, collect”
- Ancient Greekλεξικὸν βιβλίον
- Medieval Greekλεξικόν“a lexicon, a dictionary”
- New Latinlexicon
- Englishlexicon
Through Middle French or directly from New Latin lexicon, from Medieval Greek λεξικόν (lexikón, “a lexicon, a dictionary”), ellipsis from Ancient Greek λεξικὸν βιβλίον (lexikòn biblíon, literally “a book of words”), from λεξικός (lexikós, “of words”), from λέξις (léxis, “a saying, speech, word”), from λέγω (légō, “to speak”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to gather, collect”). Attested at least since 1583 (in William Fulke's A Defense of the Sincere and True Translations of the Holy Scriptures into the English tongue) in the sense 'a dictionary of a classical language'.
More words from New Latin, Medieval Greek, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek λεξικόν, λεξικόν
- λεξικόν (lexikón)vocabulary of a language
- λεξικόν (lexikón)dictionary of lexemes
Bulgarian речник, специален речник
- речник (rečnik)vocabulary of a language
- специален речник (specialen rečnik)subject-specific vocabulary
- речников запас (rečnikov zapas)vocabulary used by an individual
Catalan lèxic, lèxic
- lèxicvocabulary of a language
- lèxicdictionary of lexemes
- lèxiclexicology of a programming language
Chinese Mandarin 詞庫 /词库, 詞匯 /词汇
- 詞庫 /词库 (cíkù)vocabulary of a language
- 詞匯 /词汇 (cíhuì)vocabulary of a language
Czech lexikum, slovní zásoba
- lexikumvocabulary of a language
- slovní zásobavocabulary of a language
Danish leksikon, leksikon
- leksikonvocabulary of a language
- leksikondictionary of lexemes
Finnish sanasto, leksikko
- sanastovocabulary of a language
- leksikkovocabulary of a language
- sanastosubject-specific vocabulary
- sanakirjadictionary of lexemes
- sanastolexicology of a programming language
- sanakirja(rare) any dictionary
- sanavarastovocabulary used by an individual
French lexique, vocabulaire
- lexiquevocabulary of a language
- vocabulairevocabulary of a language
- champ lexicalsubject-specific vocabulary
- lexiquedictionary of lexemes
- lexiquevocabulary used by an individual
German Lexikon, Wortschatz
- Lexikonvocabulary of a language
- Wortschatzvocabulary of a language
- Lexikon(rare) any dictionary
- Wortschatzvocabulary used by an individual
Greek λημματολόγιο, λεξικό
- λημματολόγιο (limmatológio)dictionary of lexemes
- λεξικό (lexikó)dictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic
- λεξιλόγιο (lexilógio)lexicology of a programming language
- λεξικό (lexikó)(rare) any dictionary
- λεξιλόγιο (lexilógio)vocabulary used by an individual
Hindi शब्दसंग्रह
- शब्दसंग्रह (śabdasaṅgrah)vocabulary of a language
Hungarian szókincs, szókészlet
- szókincsvocabulary of a language
- szókészletvocabulary of a language
- szószedetsubject-specific vocabulary
- szókészletsubject-specific vocabulary
- szakszótársubject-specific vocabulary
- szójegyzékdictionary of lexemes
- szógyűjteménydictionary of lexemes
- szószedetdictionary of lexemes
- szótárdictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic
- szótár(rare) any dictionary
- szókincsvocabulary used by an individual
- szókészletvocabulary used by an individual
Icelandic orðabók, orðasafn
- orðabókdictionary of lexemes
- orðasafndictionary of lexemes
- lesforðidictionary of lexemes
- lessafndictionary of lexemes
- orðabókdictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic
- orðasafndictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic
- orðasafnlexicology of a programming language
- orðabók(rare) any dictionary
- orðasafn(rare) any dictionary
- orðabókvocabulary used by an individual
- orðasafnvocabulary used by an individual
- lesforðivocabulary used by an individual
Irish foclóir
- foclóir(rare) any dictionary
Italian lessico, lessico
- lessicodictionary of lexemes
- lessicodictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic
- lessicolexicology of a programming language
- lessico(rare) any dictionary
- lessicovocabulary used by an individual
- vocabolariovocabulary used by an individual
Japanese 語彙
- 語彙 (goi)vocabulary of a language
Lithuanian leksikonas, žodynas
- leksikonasdictionary of lexemes
- žodynas(rare) any dictionary
- leksikonas(rare) any dictionary
Māori huinga kupu, puna kupu
- huinga kupuvocabulary of a language
- puna kupuvocabulary of a language
- papakupudictionary of lexemes
Polish słownik, leksyk
- słownikvocabulary of a language
- leksyksubject-specific vocabulary
- słownictwosubject-specific vocabulary
- leksykondictionary of lexemes
- słownikdictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic
- słownik(rare) any dictionary
- leksykonvocabulary used by an individual
- słownictwovocabulary used by an individual
Portuguese léxico, vocabulário
- léxicovocabulary of a language
- vocabuláriosubject-specific vocabulary
- léxicodictionary of lexemes
- léxicondictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic
- léxicolexicology of a programming language
- léxico(rare) any dictionary
- vocabuláriovocabulary used by an individual
Romanian lexicon
- lexicondictionary of lexemes
Russian слова́рь, лексико́н
- слова́рь (slovárʹ)vocabulary of a language
- лексико́н (leksikón)vocabulary of a language
- ле́ксика (léksika)vocabulary of a language
- слова́рь лексе́м (slovárʹ leksém)dictionary of lexemes
- лексико́н (leksikón)dictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic
- лексико́н (leksikón)(rare) any dictionary
- слова́рь (slovárʹ)(rare) any dictionary
- лексико́н (leksikón)vocabulary used by an individual
- запа́с слов (zapás slov)vocabulary used by an individual
- лекси́ческий запа́с (leksíčeskij zapás)vocabulary used by an individual
- ле́ксика (léksika)vocabulary used by an individual
Spanish léxico, léxico
- léxicovocabulary of a language
- léxico(rare) any dictionary
Swedish lexikon
- lexikondictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic
Thai คลังศัพท์
- คลังศัพท์ (klang-sàp)vocabulary of a language
Vietnamese từ điển
- từ điểnvocabulary of a language
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
lexicon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lexicon
“lexicon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lexicon. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lexicon,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lexicon.
Source: lexicon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.