Dictionary

syntax en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈsɪn.tæks/

Etymology

Partly from Late Latin syntaxis and partly from its etymon, Ancient Greek σύνταξις (súntaxis), from σύν (sún, “together”) + τάξις (táxis, “arrangement”), from τάσσω (tássō, “to arrange”). Doublet of syntaxis.

Meanings

1. A set of rules that govern how words are combined to form phrases and sentences.
   • The incorporation of a rule of V MOVEMENT into our description of English Syntax turns out to have fundamental theoretical implications for our overall Theory of Grammar: it means that we are no longer able to posit that the syntactic structure of a sentence can be described in terms of a single Phrase-marker representing its S-structure. For, the postulation of a rule of V-MOVEMENT means that we must recognise at least two different levels of structure in our Theory of Grammar — namely, a level of D-structure (formerly known as ‘Deep Structureʼ) which serves as input to the rule, and a separate level of S-structure which is formed by application of the rule. 1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 8, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 410:
2. (countable) The formal rules of formulating the statements of a computer language.
3. The study of the structure of phrases, sentences, and language.
   • [Otto] Jespersen, a language professor known for his expertise in syntax and language development, stated that headlinese is not really grammatical writing. 2021 May 29, Richard Nordquist, “What Is Headlinese?”, in ThoughtCo, archived from the original on 10 Dec 2021:

Forms

Deriveds

syntaxless · phonotax · syntactician · microsyntax · spread syntax · zoosyntax · lexicosyntax · nanosyntax · metasyntax · protosyntax · syntax error · syntactic · syntaxist · syntaxeme · morpho-syntax · syntax highlighting · macrosyntax · morphosyntax

Relateds

word order · morphology · grammar

Synonyms

syntaxis

Translations (205)

sh sklàdnja (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · yi סינטאַקס (formal rules of a computer language) · hsb syntaksa (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · el συντακτικό (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ga comhréir (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ja 統語論 (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · nn syntaks (formal rules of a computer language) · sq sintaksë (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · yi סינטאַקס (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · nb syntaks (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ru си́нтаксис (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · mi wetereo (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · es sintaxis (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · kk синтаксис (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · cmn 語法學 /语法学 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · be сі́нтаксіс (formal rules of a computer language) · tg синтаксис (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · cs syntaxe (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · pt sintaxe (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · tl palaugnayan (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · mn ᠥᠭᠦᠯᠡᠪᠦᠷᠢ ᠵᠦᠢ (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · la syntaxis (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ko 통사론 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · tk sintaksis (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · uk си́нтаксис (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sw sintaksia (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · fi syntaksi (formal rules of a computer language) · sl sintaksa (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ja 文法 (formal rules of a computer language) · ko 신택스 (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ps سينټکس (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · be сы́нтаксіс (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · hu szintaxis (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · lb Syntax (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · my အထားအသို (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · is orðskipunarfræði (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ja 統辞論 (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · de Syntax (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · bg синта́ксис (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · sk syntax (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · sv grammatik (formal rules of a computer language) · ru си́нтаксис (formal rules of a computer language) · lo ວາກຍະສຳພັນ (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · bg синта́ксис (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ja 構文 (formal rules of a computer language) · de Syntax (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · fa نَحو (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sw sintaksia (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · nn syntaks (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · cs syntax (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sv grammatik (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · nn syntaks (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · hy շարահյուսություն (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · fr syntaxe (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sh sìntaksa (formal rules of a computer language) · sl skladnja (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · be сы́нтаксіс (formal rules of a computer language) · hi वाक्यरचना (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ja シンタックス (formal rules of a computer language) · nl syntaxis (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ky синтаксис (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · nl syntaxis (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · fa-ira نَحْو (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · pl składnia (formal rules of a computer language) · ja 統辞論 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ur نَحْو (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · fi syntaksi (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · th วากยสัมพันธ์ (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ne वाक्यनिर्माण (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ne वाक्यपद्धति (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · cmn 句法 (formal rules of a computer language) · hi वाक्यविन्यास (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · fa نَحو (formal rules of a computer language) · it sintassi (formal rules of a computer language) · sh скла̀дња (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · is málskipan (formal rules of a computer language) · ko 신택스 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · fr syntaxe (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · sh sklàdnja (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · fi syntaksi (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ms sintaksis (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · pl syntaktyka (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · da syntaks (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · mn өгүүлбэр зүй (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · sv syntax (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · he תַּחְבִּיר (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · grc σύνταξις (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · cmn 文法 (formal rules of a computer language) · ka სინტაქსი (formal rules of a computer language) · hi वाक्यविन्यास (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · es sintaxis (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · uk си́нтаксис (formal rules of a computer language) · ro sintaxă (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ja 構文論 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · el σύνταξη (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · tl palaugnayan (formal rules of a computer language) · vi cú pháp (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · la syntaxis (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sh сѝнтакса (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ar بِنَاء جُمْلَة (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · sh sklàdnja (formal rules of a computer language) · ro sintaxă (formal rules of a computer language) · de Satzbau (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ko 통어론 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · nan-hbl 句法 (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · fo orðalagslæra (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · cy cystrawen (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · el συντακτικό (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ru си́нтаксис (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ko 구문론 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sv syntax (formal rules of a computer language) · el συντακτικό (formal rules of a computer language) · ceb hanaysay (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · kmr sentaks (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · nb syntaks (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · fi lauseoppi (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · is setningafræði (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · km វាក្យសម្ពន្ធ (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ko 문장론 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · uz sintaksis (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ja シンタックス (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ga comhréir (formal rules of a computer language) · nl syntaxis (formal rules of a computer language) · ro sintaxă (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · sco seentax (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · pl syntaktyka (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · cs syntax (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · bn বাক্যতত্ত্ব (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · sk syntax (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sh sìntaksa (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · hi वाक्यरचना (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · id sintaksis (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · nb syntaks (formal rules of a computer language) · be сы́нтаксіс (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · is orðskipunarfræði (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · cmn 句法 (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · vi cú pháp học (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · tg наҳв (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ka სინტაქსი (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ne वाक्यरचना (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · mk синтакса (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · mi tātaikupu (formal rules of a computer language) · ceb hanaysay (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · km វាក្យសម្ពន្ធ (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ko 구문론 (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · it sintassi (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · mi tātaikupu (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · th วากยสัมพันธ์ (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · cy gwyddor cystrawen (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · pl syntaksa (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · tr sentaks (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ar نَحْو (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ug سىنتاكسىس (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ps نحو (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · be сі́нтаксіс (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ko 통어론 (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · be сі́нтаксіс (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · yi סינטאַקס (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · lt sintaksė (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ko 통사론 (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · mi wetereo (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sh сѝнтакса (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · cmn 句法學 /句法学 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · es sintaxis (formal rules of a computer language) · ka სინტაქსი (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · yue 句法學 /句法学 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sv satslära (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ca sintaxi (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · lv sintakse (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · sh скла̀дња (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · bg синта́ксис (formal rules of a computer language) · yue 句法 (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · et süntaks (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · pl syntaksa (formal rules of a computer language) · tr sözdizimi (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · pl syntaksa (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · pl składnia (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ga comhréir (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · oc sintaxi (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · az sintaksis (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · ko 월갈 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · gl sintaxe (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · nl zinsleer (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sh скла̀дња (formal rules of a computer language) · is setningafræði (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · yue 語法學 /语法学 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · uk си́нтаксис (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · sh sìntaksa (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ja 統語論 (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · de Syntax (formal rules of a computer language) · pt sintaxe (formal rules of a computer language) · ja シンタックス (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · de Satzlehre (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · pt sintaxe (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sl skladnja (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · ja 構文論 (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · eo sintakso (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · fi lauseoppi (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · pl składnia (study of the structure of phrases and sentences) · sh сѝнтакса (formal rules of a computer language) · sv syntax (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · fr syntaxe (formal rules of a computer language) · tl palaugnayan (set of rules that govern how words are combined) · pl syntaktyka (formal rules of a computer language) · hu mondattan (study of the structure of phrases and sentences)