If you’ve dabbled in the world of words, you’ve likely come across the term “lexicon.” You know it refers to some type of vocabulary or dictionary, but are they all same thing? What is a lexicon, and how do you know if you’re using one?
Take a dive into linguistic history with a guide to lexicons, including examples of a lexicon, a definition of a lexicon, and jobs that deal with lexicons (lexicographers). You’ll also learn how understanding the concept of a lexicon can affect the way you speak your own language—and how you can best approach learning a new language.
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Lexicon: definition and meaning
The origin of the word “lexicon” traces back to the Greek lexikon, meaning “list of words” or “word book.” The root lex- refers to words (think “lexicographical,” referring to alphabetical order, or “dyslexia,” referring to a difficulty with words), and the original use of lexicon was to describe a written list or book of words.
Today, we commonly use the word “lexicon” to describe a figurative list of words, such as “the English lexicon” (a list of all words in the English language). It could also still describe a specialized dictionary for a language that includes root words, bound morphemes, and archaic or obsolete words that typical dictionaries may not include.
“Understanding what a lexicon is helps us recognize that language is structured, dynamic, and culturally shaped. It explains why meanings shift over time, why specialized fields develop their own language, and why context matters when interpreting text or speech. This understanding is especially important in fields like education, linguistics, translation, and technology.”
—Steve Johnson, Ph.D., director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning
Similar terms to ‘lexicon’
So is “lexicon” just another word for “dictionary”? And what about “vocabulary”? These words are related to “lexicon,” but there are nuanced differences between them and their usages.
- lexicon: an entire collection of words used by a group or population
- dictionary: a book containing a language’s words and their definitions
- jargon: a group of technical words used by a specific group
- vocabulary: a selection of words known and used by a group or population
If those definitions of “lexicon” and “vocabulary” look similar, there’s a good reason. “Lexicon” comes from the Greek language, while the origin of “vocabulary” is the Latin vocabularium (“list of words”). They were essentially the same concept in the Classical period, from the 8th century B.C.E to the 5th century C.E.
“When people talk about vocabulary, they’re usually referring to the set of words that a person knows or uses—something at an individual level. The lexicon, however, is broader than that; it refers to the entire system of words and meanings used in a language, including how words relate to one another, how they change, and how they’re used in context.”
—Steve Johnson, Ph.D., director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning
The word “dictionary” comes from the Latin dictionarius to describe a collection of words and phrases, and like the original Greek lexikon, refers to a physical book containing those words.
“A dictionary is a tool that’s used as a reference of records related to selected words from the lexicon. This tool includes definitions, usage notes, examples, and information by word relationships. This tool is used by users to check their understanding of words and assists in users expanding their own vocabularies.”
—Steve Johnson, Ph.D., director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning
What is a lexicographer?
A lexicographer is essentially a dictionary writer. These well-versed professionals become experts of multiple lexicons to write, compile, and edit dictionary entries for readers’ reference and use. They study lexicography (the practice of writing a dictionary) as well as lexicology (the study of the lexicon) to become experts in their language’s lists of words.
“A lexicographer is someone who studies, analyzes, and documents words and their meanings, typically by researching real-word language use. The ability to systematically analyze and document words generally involves some training or expertise in linguistics, language studies, or related fields, along with skills in analyzing usage data, historical sources, and linguistic patterns. What ultimately qualifies someone as a lexicographer is not just knowledge of words, but active, systematic work in compiling, defining, or revising lexical resources like dictionaries and thesauruses.”
—Steve Johnson, Ph.D., director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning
One of the first English lexicographers was Samuel Johnson, creator of A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755. While this work was instrumental in standardizing the English lexicography, his definition of “lexicographer” became famous in its own right as a humorous statement on his chosen profession: “A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge, that bullies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words.”
Examples of lexicons
It’s easy to think of a lexicon as the list of words in a language. After all, English, Spanish, Japanese, Greek, and Latin would have their own lexicons, each with hundreds of thousands of words unique to that language.
But the term “lexicon” isn’t limited to a language. It can refer to a complete list of words in a profession, society, or specialized group—words that someone would need to add to their own personal lexicon before they could participate in that group.
English lexicon
Like all languages, English has its own lexicon. Derived from Celtic languages, Old English, French, Latin, German, and several other European languages, the English lexicon likely includes the most words of any language in the world.
While the Oxford English Dictionary includes around 500,000 words and phrases in general usage today, linguists estimate that the entire English lexicon may have closer to 1 million words. These additional words include obsolete words (such as acersecomicke, a person with uncut hair, or backfriend, an unseen enemy), words from regional dialects (such as bubbler, the Australian term for “water fountain”), and bound morphemes (such as the prefix -un or the suffix -ing).
Medical lexicon
A medical lexicon includes specialized words and phrases used in the healthcare industry. While not standard across languages, the medical lexicon is deeply rooted in Latin and Greek vocabularies, making it easier for medical professionals to communicate accurately.
For example, English medical terms like cardiologist (a physician specializing in heart and blood vessel conditions) and metabolism (the process that converts food into energy in the body) come from Greek roots. But even though English is a Germanic language and Spanish and French are Romance languages, the medical lexicon looks remarkably similar across languages (cardiólogo and metabolismo in Spanish, cardiologue and métabolisme in French).
Computer lexicon
In the mid-to-late 20th century, the computer lexicon was mainly used by professionals in information technology or computer programming. But with the prevalence of computers in our world today, more people than ever have incorporated words from the computer lexicon into their everyday speech.
For example, the terms “algorithm,” “operating system,” and “PDF” wouldn’t be unusual to hear in a conversation about someone’s social media scrolling or a document they’ve made for an event. But other words from the computer lexicon, including “absolute path,” “terminal,” or “object-oriented programming,” are more specific for computer programmers and professionals.
Slang lexicon
Does it seem like teens speak an entirely different language? They don’t—they just use a different lexicon, known as a slang lexicon. No matter the generation, part of the teen experience is to shift and change conversational word usage in a way that both connects them to their peers and separates them from older people.
If you grew up in the 70s, for example, the slang words “groovy” and “far out” may have been part of your lexicon (and maybe still are!). Nineties kids may be more used to “booyah” and “talk to the hand,” and 21st-century teenagers are all about “rizz” and “drip.”
How does a lexicon develop?
Lexicons don’t come ready-made with words, phrases, and morphemes. Smaller lexicons can develop relatively quickly, especially in slang or conversational contexts. But larger lexicons, such as lexicons of entire languages, could take thousands of years to form—and they’re evolving every day. So, how do lexicons add words and change meanings throughout their usage?
Loanwords
Do you understand the words mosquito, ballet, sushi, and parka? If so (and you don’t happen to be fluent in Spanish, French, Japanese, or Russian), you’ve adopted loanwords from other languages into your personal lexicon. Around 80% of the English lexicon is made up of loanwords from other languages, a process that began long before recorded history.
And language lexicons aren’t the only places where loanwords appear. If you’ve ever used phrases like “Bail me out” or “You knocked it out of the park,” you’re using loanwords and phrases from legal and sports lexicons.
Neologisms
Neologisms are new words that enter a lexicon, typically through casual usage. When neologisms become common enough, lexicographers add them to a formal dictionary, reflecting their popularity in a modern lexicon.
Combining words by compounding them (such as “airplane” or “smartphone”) or blending words into portmanteaus (such as “mansplain” or “brunch”) meet conversational needs in ways that existing words can’t. Additionally, abbreviations from texting or online culture (such as “IRL” or “GOAT”) have made their way off screens and into the English lexicon.
Tips for increasing your lexicon
No matter how well spoken you are, there are always ways to grow your personal lexicon! Whether you’re interested in learning a new language or learning more about the language (or languages) you already speak, you can bring new words and phrases into your everyday conversation or professional writing.
- Listen to language learning podcasts to hear fluent language usage and discover more about the words in a language’s lexicon.
- Watch foreign language films for guidance on conversational usage and to put words you already know into context.
- Find a language exchange partner who can guide you on loanwords in your target language and give you vocabulary tips.
- Stop by a dictionary website, like Dictionary.com, to check out the word of the day, or go the analog route with a paper “Word of the Day” calendar.
- Read nonfiction books that focus on industries that interest you, and note words that you haven’t heard before.
Key takeaways about lexicon usage
Keep these takeaways in mind as you move forward in developing your personal lexicon and learning how words in our world work.
- A lexicon is a collection of all words, phrases, and bound morphemes used by a population.
- The terms “lexicon” and “vocabulary” each refer to a list of words in Greek and Latin, respectively.
- “Lexicon” can also refer to written books of words (like “dictionary”).
- Every language has a lexicon, but specific professions or groups can also have their own lexicons with common words and phrases.
- Lexicons grow and evolve all the time by adding loanwords and neologisms.
- You can increase your lexicon by learning a new language, exploring how languages are formed, or reading industry-specific literature that introduces words that are new to you.
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