Grammatical

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɡɹəˈmætɪkəl/

Definitions

1. Relating to the rules and structure of language, including syntax, morphology, and proper sentence formation
2. Pertaining to the principles and frameworks that govern language structure, such as syntax and morphology, as well as the correct formation of sentences
3. Concerning the established conventions and systems that dictate sentence structure, along with morphology and syntax in any given language

Etymology: Grammatical traces back to the Greek "grammatikos," which meant "pertaining to letters" or "one skilled in letters," from "gramma," a letter of the alphabet. In ancient Greece, a grammatikos was a scholar who taught reading, writing, and the analysis of literary texts, so the sense of the word began with the written letter rather than with sentences or rules of speech. The Latin form "grammaticalis" carried this learned sense into Europe, and it passed into Middle French as "grammatical" before reaching English. Its modern meaning, concerning the rules that govern how words combine into sentences, grew out of that older association between letters, learning, and correct writing and speech.

Synonyms: syntactical, linguistic, structural, normative, correct

Antonyms: ungrammatical, incorrect, wrong, illogical, anomalous