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ideographically

ideographically

1 9.9
In a way that uses symbols to show meaning instead of sounds
  • adverb
  • /ˌaɪdiəˈɡræfɪkli/
  • Specialized
: ideográficamente
  • Some languages record meaning ideographically instead of focusing on phonetic spelling.

Examples

  • The ancient script was written ideographically rather than alphabetically.

  • Don't write ideographically!

  • Mathematical concepts are often communicated ideographically using universally recognized symbols.

  • The ancient Egyptians wrote ideographically using hieroglyphs.

  • The instructions were provided ideographically, using symbols to represent the essential steps.

  • In the art class, we learned how to communicate ideographically with pictures instead of words.

  • The mapping system displays information ideographically, allowing users to understand complex concepts at a glance.

Synonyms

symbolically
vsideographically
23 6.0

In a way that shows an idea instead of saying it directly

is more specific, using symbols that stand for ideas rather than sounds
iconographically
vsideographically
1 9.9

Using pictures or symbols to show meaning

is about symbols used as characters that represent ideas rather than visual images

Surface Forms

ideographically positive

Morphology

ideographically = ideographical (transparent) = ideo + graph + ic + al + ly

The adverb is the regular -ly form of the adjective 'ideographical', so the meaning is directly recoverable from the base.

Etymology

The word ideographically comes from ideo- meaning 'idea' and -graph meaning 'to write', as in photograph and autograph. So to do something ideographically is to show ideas with symbols or pictures, not to spell sounds with letters.