Wiktionary

phrase

See also: Phrase and phrasé

English

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Etymology

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From Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”), from φράζω (phrázō, “I tell, express”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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phrase (plural phrases)

Examples (grammar)

noun phrase: the big bird (head: bird)

  1. A short written or spoken expression.
    Hypernym: syntagma
  3. (grammar) A word or, more commonly, a group of words that functions as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence, always containing an expressed or implied head (the principal word or subgroup, with core importance) and often consisting of a head plus some other elaborating words.
    Hypernym: utterance
    Hyponyms: noun phrase, verb phrase, adjective phrase, adjectival phrase, adverb phrase, adverbial phrase, prepositional phrase, pronominal phrase; noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, pronoun; term, word; adpositional phrase, antecedent phrase, bombard phrase, buzz-phrase, catchphrase, conjunctional phrase, consequent phrase, determiner phrase, filler phrase, fixed phrase, inflectional phrase, interjectional phrase, parting phrase, phrase name, seed phrase, set phrase, signal phrase, statistically improbable phrase, stock phrase, stop-phrase, term phrase
    Holonyms: clause, sentence; phrasing, phraseology, turn of phrase; phrase-book; document, message; language; communication
    Meronyms: head, complement, adjunct, supplement, modifier; term, word
    • 2013 November 30, Paul Davis, “Letters: Say it as simply as possible”, in The Economist‎[1], volume 409, number 8864:
      Congratulations on managing to use the phrase “preponderant criterion” in a chart (“On your marks”, November 9th). Was this the work of a kakorrhaphiophobic journalist set a challenge by his colleagues, or simply an example of glossolalia?
    • 2024, Geoffrey K. Pullum, The Truth About English Grammar, Polity Press, →ISBN, page 12:
      There is always a head in a phrase. When it is not accompanied by anything else, we have a one-word phrase. Cheese can be an NP [noun phrase], and so can squid. If we didn't allow one-word phrases, we'd often have to say "either a noun or an NP," "either a verb or a VP," and so on. When I talk about a phrase, always remember that I don't mean a unit containing more than one word; I mean a unit with at least one word (the head), which may contain other words as well.
  4. (music) A small section of music in a larger piece.
  5. (archaic) A mode or form of speech; diction; expression.
  6. (dance) A short individual motion forming part of a choreographed dance.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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Verb

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phrase (third-person singular simple present phrases, present participle phrasing, simple past and past participle phrased)

  1. (transitive) To express (an action, thought or idea) by means of particular words.
    I wasn't sure how to phrase my condolences without sounding patronising.
  2. (transitive, intransitive, music) To perform (a passage) with a particular phrasing.
  3. (transitive, music) To divide into melodic phrases.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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From Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”), from φράζω (phrázō, “to tell, express”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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phrase f (plural phrases)

  1. sentence

Usage notes

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Derived terms

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Latin

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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phrase

  1. ablative singular of phrasis

Portuguese

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Noun

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phrase f (plural phrases)

  1. Pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1911 in Portugal) of frase.
    • 1880, Maria Amalia Vaz de Carvalho, “O annel do diplomata [The diplomat’s ring]”, in Contos e phantasias [Short stories and fantasies]‎[2], 2nd edition, Lisbon: Parceria Antonio Maria Pereira, published 1905, page 146:
      O pobre rapaz, que conhecia a falsa posição em que se collocara com a sua phrase, sentia-se humilhado e como que vendido n’aquelle meio.
      The poor young lad, who knew the false position in which he had put himself with his phrase, felt humiliated and embarrassed in the group.
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