# linguistic

/ɫɪŋˈɡwɪstɪk/ (US) · /lɪŋɡwˈɪstɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/linguistic
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. relating to language

adjective · CEFR B2 · Academic

relating to language or the way people use words.

For teachers: pertaining to human language or the specific use of words and grammar in communication.

- The children showed great linguistic skills by learning three languages at once.
- The researcher noted that the linguistic barriers between the two groups were more significant than their cultural differences.

Usage: usually placed before the noun

### 2. relating to the study of linguistics

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

relating to the scientific study of language.

For teachers: pertaining to the academic discipline of linguistics, including phonetics, syntax, and semantics.

- She published a linguistic analysis of how slang changes over time.
- The professor provided a detailed linguistic framework for understanding how tonal shifts alter meaning in Mandarin dialects.

Usage: non-gradable

### 3. computing

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

relating to the rules and structure of computer programming languages.

For teachers: pertaining to the formal syntax and structure of artificial or computer-based languages.

- The software uses linguistic patterns to understand what users are asking.
- The development of advanced linguistic algorithms has significantly improved the accuracy of real-time machine translation services.

Usage: often used in the context of natural language processing (NLP)

## Examples

- The students have excellent linguistic skills.
- The country is known for its rich linguistic diversity, with over twenty local dialects spoken across the islands.
- Researchers are investigating the linguistic development of children raised in bilingual households to determine how they differentiate between two distinct grammatical systems.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.