lexicon

lexicon — noun

1. The full set of words and fixed expressions that speakers use when communicating

1.nounB2
Definition

The full set of words and fixed expressions that speakers use when communicating in one language, or that belong to a single area of knowledge or activity.

Example

The English lexicon contains words from Latin, French, and Germanic sources.

lexicon of [language] + source languages

Hao's medical lexicon includes hundreds of specialist terms he learned during training.

personal lexicon of [field]

Common collocations
  • expand one's lexicon
  • enter the lexicon
  • part of the lexicon
  • personal lexicon
  • shared lexicon
  • the lexicon of [field]
Synonyms
  • vocabulary

    Broader everyday term; less formal than lexicon

  • word stock

    More technical, used mainly in linguistics

  • terminology

    Specifically about the words of a field, not a whole language

Grammar Patterns

the lexicon of [language/field]

[possessive] lexicon

Usage Note

More formal and academic than 'vocabulary'. In everyday conversation, 'vocabulary' is the usual choice. 'Lexicon' is preferred in linguistics and technical writing.

Common Mistakes

The lexicon of Spanish is rich.' (awkward register).
The vocabulary of Spanish is rich.
in everyday contexts, 'vocabulary' sounds more natural than 'lexicon'.

2. A book, website, or digital resource that lists the words of a language — especi

2.nounC1
Definition

A book, website, or digital resource that lists the words of a language — especially an ancient or specialised one — in alphabetical order, together with their meanings.

Example

Élise used a Greek–English lexicon to translate the ancient text.

[language] lexicon for translation work

The professor consulted a lexicon of botanical terms before the lecture.

lexicon of [field] terms

Common collocations
  • consult a lexicon
  • Greek lexicon
  • Hebrew lexicon
  • medical lexicon
  • lexicon of [subject]
  • online lexicon
Synonyms
  • dictionary

    Everyday term; much more common than lexicon in this sense

  • glossary

    A limited list of terms for a specific text or subject

  • word list

    Simpler, often without full definitions

Grammar Patterns

[language] lexicon

lexicon of [subject]

Usage Note

In modern English, 'dictionary' is the everyday word. 'Lexicon' for this sense is used mainly for ancient languages (Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Sanskrit) or specialised subject dictionaries.

Common Mistakes

I checked the Spanish lexicon for the word.
I checked the Spanish dictionary for the word.
'lexicon' as a dictionary usually refers to specialised or ancient-language dictionaries, not everyday ones.

Word family

  • lexical
    adjectiveC1
  • lexicographer
    nounC2
  • lexicography
    nounC2
  • lexicology
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'lexicon' (sense 1) refers to the complete word set of a language or field, 'vocabulary' is the broader everyday term — you learn vocabulary in class, not a lexicon. 'Terminology' narrows the focus to the technical words of a specific profession or subject (e.g. legal terminology, medical terminology), whereas 'lexicon' can include both technical and everyday words of a domain. 'Word stock' is a more technical term mainly used in linguistics to describe the total lexical inventory of a language. 'Glossary' differs in being a curated list of selected terms with definitions, often appended to a book. For example: 'The lexicon of economics includes terms like supply and demand' (the full word set); 'The glossary at the end explains each term' (a selected, explained list).

vocabulary ↗terminology ↗word stockglossary ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • lexicon entry
  • lexicon definition

Phrases

  • enter the lexicon
  • part of the lexicon

Prepositions

  • in the lexicon
  • of the lexicon

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

From Greek 'lexikon (biblion)' meaning 'word (book)', based on 'lexis' ('word, speech'), which comes from 'legein' ('to speak, to say'). The word entered English via Latin in the early 17th century, first referring to a dictionary (especially of Greek or Hebrew), and later expanding to mean the vocabulary of a language or field.