adjective
- having become established as a fixed expression or word in a language’s vocabulary
Usage: linguistics
Examples
- The phrase ‘hot dog’ has become lexicalized as a single unit meaning a type of sausage.
- Many compound words start as separate terms before becoming lexicalized.
- The expression ‘break a leg’ is lexicalized in theater contexts.
- Linguists study how phrases become lexicalized over time.
- The term ‘smartphone’ quickly became lexicalized in modern English.
- Some borrowed words become fully lexicalized in the receiving language.