Meaning & use
Holophrase
Last updated
A single word used by a young child to express a complete idea or sentence's worth of meaning.
See it in a sentence
A toddler saying "milk" to mean "I want milk" is using a holophrase.
Linguists study holophrases to understand early stages of language acquisition.
A note on using this word
The term is central to developmental linguistics, describing the "holophrastic stage" that typically occurs between twelve and eighteen months of age.
Words with a similar meaning
one-word sentence
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Holophrase”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.