Phrase (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

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noun
  1. Grammar.
    • a sequence of two or more words arranged in a grammatical construction and acting as a unit in a sentence.
    • (in English) a sequence of two or more words that does not contain a finite verb and its subject or that does not consist of clause elements such as subject, verb, object, or complement, as a preposition and a noun or pronoun, an adjective and noun, or an adverb and verb.
  2. a word or group of spoken words that the mind focuses on momentarily as a meaningful unit and is preceded and followed by pauses.
  3. a characteristic, current, or proverbial expression: a hackneyed phrase.
  4. a division of a composition, commonly a passage of four or eight measures, forming part of a period.
  5. a way of speaking, mode of expression, or phraseology: a book written in the phrase of the West.
  6. a brief utterance or remark: In a phrase, he's a dishonest man.
  7. a sequence of motions making up part of a choreographic pattern.
verb (used with object), phrased, phras·ing.
  1. to express or word in a particular way: to phrase an apology well.
  2. to express in words: to phrase one's thoughts.
  3. Music.
    • to mark off or bring out the phrases of (a piece), especially in execution.
    • to group (notes) into a phrase.
verb (used without object), phrased, phras·ing.
  1. to perform a passage or piece with proper phrasing.
noun
  1. a group of words forming an immediate syntactic constituent of a clause
  2. a particular expression, esp an original one
  3. a small group of notes forming a coherent unit of melody
  4. (in choreography) a short sequence of dance movements
verb (tr)
  1. to divide (a melodic line, part, etc) into musical phrases, esp in performance
  2. to express orally or in a phrase
Phrase (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

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