1. the quality or state of being a word or lexical item; the property of belonging to the vocabulary of a language.
Usage: linguistics; formal
2. in linguistics, the degree to which a linguistic form is recognized as a standard word in a language rather than a neologism, slang term, or non-word.
Usage: linguistics; technical

Examples

• Linguists debate the lexicality of newly coined internet terms.
• The lexicality of a word determines whether it appears in standard dictionaries.
• Speakers intuitively judge the lexicality of unfamiliar words based on phonetic patterns.
• The lexicality of 'selfie' has been established through widespread adoption and dictionary inclusion.
• Researchers test lexicality by asking native speakers to identify real words from nonsense words.