noun
- Plural of polysemy; instances or cases in which a word or phrase has multiple related or unrelated meanings.
Usage: linguistics; formal
Examples
- The polysemies of the word 'bank' include a financial institution and the edge of a river.
- Linguists study polysemies to understand how words develop different senses over time.
- English contains numerous polysemies that can confuse non-native speakers.
- The polysemies of 'run' range from physical movement to managing a business.
- Dictionaries must account for polysemies when defining words with multiple meanings.