syntax
n. C / Un. the rules for how words are arranged to make correct sentences. In computer programming, it refers to the exact order of symbols and commands you must use so the machine understands your code.
n. the set of rules and principles that govern the structure of sentences in a given language. In computer science, it dictates the correct sequence of symbols required to form a properly structured command or program.
Learning the syntax of a new programming language takes time and practice.
The compiler threw an error because a missing semicolon ruined the syntax of the code block.
While her vocabulary in French was extensive, her syntax remained heavily influenced by English, resulting in sentences that native speakers found structurally awkward despite being perfectly comprehensible.
Partly from Late Latin syntaxis and partly from its etymon, Ancient Greek σύνταξις (súntaxis), from σύν (sún, “together”) + τάξις (táxis, “arrangement”), from τάσσω (tássō, “I arrange”). Doublet of syntaxis.
Uncountable when referring to the abstract system of rules; countable when comparing the specific rule sets of different languages or programming environments.