syntactic

[ sin-tak-tik ]

adjective

1. of or relating to syntax:

   syntactic errors in English;

   the syntactic rules for computer source code.

2. consisting of or noting morphemes that are combined in the same order as they would be if they were separate words in a corresponding construction:

   The word blackberry, which consists of an adjective followed by a noun, is a syntactic compound.

Other Words From

• syn·tacti·cal·ly adverb
• nonsyn·tactic adjective
• nonsyn·tacti·cal adjective
• nonsyn·tacti·cal·ly adverb
• unsyn·tactic adjective
• unsyn·tacti·cal adjective
• unsyn·tacti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of syntactic¹

1570–80; < New Latin syntacticus < Greek syntaktikós, equivalent to syntakt ( ós ) ordered, arranged together, verbid of syntássein to arrange together ( syn- syn- + tag-, base of tássein to arrange + -tos adj. suffix) + -ikos -ic; tactic

Example Sentences

There are minor syntactic errors throughout the study, presumably due to translation.

From The Daily Beast

But stress has done more than articulate or unify sequences that in their own right imply a syntactic relation.

From Project Gutenberg

In the isolating languages the syntactic relations are expressed by the position of the words in the sentence.

From Project Gutenberg

Hence the 16th century shows a syntactic licence and freedom which distinguishes it strikingly from that of later times.

From Project Gutenberg

The purposes for which the processes are used are derivation, modification, and syntactic relation.

From Project Gutenberg

Syntactic relation is the relation of the parts of speech to each other as integral parts of a sentence.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• linguistic
• semantic