Lexicalized

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. To transform an expression into a commonly recognized fixture within a language's structure To entrench a term as an integral segment of linguistic practice through frequent use To establish a phrase as a conventional element of communication within a given tongue
2. To make a word or phrase an accepted part of a language's vocabulary ; to cause a term or expression to be recognized as a standard and fixed part of everyday speech
3. To incorporate an expression permanently into the lexicon of a language ; to turn a phrase into a conventional, widely understood component of communication

Etymology: "Lexicalized" is the past tense and past participle of "lexicalize," which means to make an expression a fixed, recognized part of a language's vocabulary through repeated use. The verb is built from "lexical," the adjective for words or vocabulary, plus "-ize," a suffix that turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make or treat as." The "-ize" ending traces back through Late Latin "-izare" and Ancient Greek "-izein," and reached English through Middle French "-iser" and Middle English "-isen." The "-ize" suffix took a long route, but the verb itself is a plain formation: a modern English coinage from "lexical" with a standard Greek-derived ending. "Lexical" in turn comes from the Greek "lexikos," relating to words, which itself comes from "lexis," meaning speech or word.

Synonyms: codified, standardized