Dictionary

usagist en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree Anglo-Norman usagebor. Middle English usage English usage Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English usagist From usage + -ist.

Meanings

1. (rare) One who defines a language by usage rather than theory.
   • To hell with the Bard, replied the 19-year-old common usagist; gild the lily is what people say, as I was being frog-marched out of the city room. 2006 March 11, William Safire, “Language: Nifty gifties: Books full of words - Opinion - International Herald Tribune”, in The New York Times:
   • The most Talmudic usagists say compare to seeks to show similarity between unlike things: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" or "Can the human brain be compared to a computer?" 1995 November 6, William Safire, “ON LANGUAGE; 'To' vs. 'With'”, in The New York Times:

Forms

Synonyms

descriptivist