"polysemic" meaning in English

See polysemic in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /pəˈlɪs.ɪ.mɪk/ [UK], /pɒ.lɪˈsiː.mɪk/ [US] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-polysemic.wav Forms: more polysemic [comparative], most polysemic [superlative]
Etymology: From polyseme + -ic. Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|polyseme|ic}} polyseme + -ic Head templates: {{en-adj}} polysemic (comparative more polysemic, superlative most polysemic)
  1. (linguistics) Having a number of meanings, interpretations or understandings. Categories (topical): Linguistics Synonyms: polysemantic, polysemous Derived forms: polysemically Related terms: oligosemic, polyseme, polysemy, homonymous
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      "expansion": "polyseme + -ic",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From polyseme + -ic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more polysemic",
      "tags": [
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    },
    {
      "form": "most polysemic",
      "tags": [
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      "name": "en-adj"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "monosemantic"
        },
        {
          "word": "monosemic"
        },
        {
          "word": "monosemous"
        },
        {
          "word": "univocal"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ic",
          "parents": [],
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        {
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
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          "parents": [],
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        },
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          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Linguistics",
          "orig": "en:Linguistics",
          "parents": [
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            "Social sciences",
            "Communication",
            "Sciences",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "polysemically"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Sean Brayton, “MTV's Jackass: Transgression, Abjection and the Economy of White Masculinity”, in Journal of Gender Studies, volume 16, page 58:",
          "text": "As a series of polysemic and paradoxical sketches, Jackass does not lend itself to one particular theoretical analysis.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
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        "Having a number of meanings, interpretations or understandings."
      ],
      "id": "en-polysemic-en-adj-mWK54t3H",
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          "linguistics"
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        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(linguistics) Having a number of meanings, interpretations or understandings."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "oligosemic"
        },
        {
          "word": "polyseme"
        },
        {
          "word": "polysemy"
        },
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          "word": "homonymous"
        }
      ],
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        {
          "word": "polysemantic"
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          "word": "polysemous"
        }
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        "sciences"
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      "ipa": "/pəˈlɪs.ɪ.mɪk/",
      "tags": [
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    },
    {
      "ipa": "/pɒ.lɪˈsiː.mɪk/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
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    }
  ],
  "word": "polysemic"
}
{
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "polysemically"
    }
  ],
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      "args": {
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      "name": "suffix"
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "From polyseme + -ic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more polysemic",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most polysemic",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
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  ],
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  "pos": "adj",
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      "word": "oligosemic"
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    {
      "word": "polyseme"
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    {
      "word": "polysemy"
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      "word": "homonymous"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "monosemantic"
        },
        {
          "word": "monosemic"
        },
        {
          "word": "monosemous"
        },
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          "word": "univocal"
        }
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        "English entries with incorrect language header",
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        {
          "ref": "2007, Sean Brayton, “MTV's Jackass: Transgression, Abjection and the Economy of White Masculinity”, in Journal of Gender Studies, volume 16, page 58:",
          "text": "As a series of polysemic and paradoxical sketches, Jackass does not lend itself to one particular theoretical analysis.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Having a number of meanings, interpretations or understandings."
      ],
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          "linguistics",
          "linguistics"
        ],
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          "meaning",
          "meaning"
        ],
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          "interpretation"
        ]
      ],
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        "(linguistics) Having a number of meanings, interpretations or understandings."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "polysemantic"
        },
        {
          "word": "polysemous"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
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        "linguistics",
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    },
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      "ipa": "/pɒ.lɪˈsiː.mɪk/",
      "tags": [
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      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "polysemic"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-13 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (4ba5975 and 4ed51a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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