Meaning & use
Polysemic
Last updated
Having multiple meanings or senses, especially describing a single word with several related interpretations.
See it in a sentence
The word "bank" is polysemic, referring to both a financial institution and the edge of a river.
Linguists study polysemic words to understand how meaning shifts and multiplies over time.
A note on using this word
"Polysemic" relates to the noun "polysemy," a key concept in linguistics describing how a single word can carry multiple related meanings.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
monosemousunambiguous
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Polysemic”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.