lexis means the set of all words and phrases in a language; any unified subset of words from a particular language.
lexis is pronounced /ˈlɛksɪs/.
Why “lexis” is a great word
The total stock of words and phrases available to a language, or a distinct subset of it. From the Greek λέξις (léxis, 'speech, word'), first attested in English circa 1955–1960. Unlike 'lexicon' (which suggests a compiled inventory, a dictionary waiting on a shelf) or 'grammar' (which governs the architecture of sentences), lexis is the living matter itself—the cold precision of 'permafrost,' the worn comfort of 'hearth,' the brutal efficiency of 'shrapnel.' It is the raw, tactile stuff of thought, waiting in silence to be summoned into sound.
noun
- The set of all words and phrases in a language; any unified subset of words from a particular language.e.g.“Thus, alongside current lexis, words and senses now obsolete find a place in a dictionary on historical principles.”
- Words, collocations, and common phrases in a language; vocabulary and word combinations.
- The vocabulary used by a writer.e.g.“In this broadsheet newspaper, the reporter uses a complicated and formal lexis which I find hard to understand.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- lexicon 88% match — The vocabulary of a language. vs lexis →
- lexeme 86% match — A lexical item corresponding to the set of all words (or of all multi-word expressions) that are semantically related through inflection of a particular shared basic form.; The abstract minimum unit of language or meaning that underlies such a set. vs lexis →
- idiolect 83% match — The language variant used by a specific individual. vs lexis →
- phraseology 82% match — Study of set or fixed expressions. vs lexis →
- diction 82% match — Choice and use of words, especially with regard to effective communication. vs lexis →
- lexiphanicism 81% match — The use of pretentious words or language. vs lexis →
- chronolect 81% match — A specific variety of a language at a given time in its history of development. vs lexis →
- paralexicon 81% match — A parallel set of vocabulary within a language, e.g. a formal register, ritual language or secret cant, code switching vs lexis →