noun
- A word that is more general or broader in meaning than another word; a superordinate term. For example, 'animal' is a hypernym of 'dog'.
Usage: linguistics; semantics; plural form of hypernym
Examples
- In linguistics, 'vehicle' is a hypernym that includes cars, trucks, and bicycles.
- The word 'fruit' is a hypernym for 'apple,' 'orange,' and 'banana.'
- Understanding hypernyms helps students organize vocabulary into broader categories.
- Dictionaries often use hypernyms to explain the general class of a specific word.
- The relationship between 'furniture' and 'chair' shows how hypernyms work in semantic hierarchies.