# syntactic

/ˌsɪnˈtæktɪk/ (US) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/syntactic
Updated: 2026-05-25

## Definition

relating to the rules that decide how words are put together to make sentences. It describes the structure of language rather than its meaning.

For teachers: relating to the rules and principles that govern the structure of sentences and phrases. Often used in linguistic analysis to distinguish structural properties from semantic or phonetic ones.

## Examples

- The grammar of this sentence is syntactic.
- The professor explained that the word order in this language is strictly syntactic and cannot be changed.
- While the semantic meaning of the two sentences is identical, their syntactic structures differ significantly, affecting how the information is processed by the listener.

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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.