Lexicon

Intermediate 🎓 Education / Academia

Definition

The complete set of words and phrases in a language, or a specialized vocabulary used within a particular field, profession, or community. It can also refer to a dictionary or reference work listing these words.

Example Usage

Software engineers have their own technical lexicon that confuses outsiders.

Origin

From Greek 'lexikon' meaning 'of words,' derived from 'lexis' (word).

Fun Fact

The average English speaker has a passive lexicon of 20,000–35,000 words but actively uses only about 2,000–3,000 in daily conversation.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)