polysemic

English

Etymology

From polyseme +‎ -ic.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pəˈlɪs.ɪ.mɪk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /pɒ.lɪˈsiː.mɪk/

Adjective

polysemic (comparative more polysemic, superlative most polysemic)

1. (linguistics) Having a number of senses (meanings) or understandings.

   Synonyms: polysemantic, polysemous

   Antonyms: monosemantic, monosemic, monosemous, univocal

   • 2007, Sean Brayton, “MTV's Jackass: Transgression, Abjection and the Economy of White Masculinity”, in Journal of Gender Studies, volume 16, page 58:

     As a series of polysemic and paradoxical sketches, Jackass does not lend itself to one particular theoretical analysis.

Derived terms

• polysemically

Related terms

• oligosemic
• polyseme
• polysemy

Translations

having a number of meanings, interpretations or understandings — see polysemous

See also

• homonymous