monosemy
- noun
- /ˌmɒnəˈsɛmi/
- Jargon
:
monosemia
- The term monosemy describes a word with a single meaning.
Examples
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The word 'oxygen' is an example of monosemy, as it refers to only one concept.
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As a dictionary compiler, she preferred terms with monosemy to avoid confusion.
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Linguists study both monosemy and polysemy to understand language development.
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A word exhibiting monosemy is easy to understand.
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The word 'tree' is an example of monosemy because it has a specific meaning and does not have multiple interpretations.
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In her research on linguistics, she focused on monosemy as a key feature of effective communication.
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Understanding monosemy helps language learners grasp concepts without confusion.
Synonyms
A state when something has only one clear meaning
A situation in which a word or phrase has only one clear meaning
A clear meaning that leaves no doubt
Antonyms
How Ambiguous
Surface Forms
Morphology
monosemy = mono + sem + y
The word is formally compositional ('mono' + 'sem' + '-y' = one meaning), but the technical root is not familiar to ordinary learners.
Etymology
Monosemy starts with mono- 'one', the same 'mono' you see in monarch or monologue, and ends with -semy from a Greek root meaning 'sign' or 'meaning'. So monosemy literally means 'one meaning', which is why it describes a word or phrase that has only a single meaning.