Definition of Lexicography
(noun) The act, process, or profession of compiling, editing, or writing a dictionary.
Example of Lexicography
Lexicography Pronunciation
Syllabification: lex·i·cog·ra·phy
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /lek-suh-kAH-gruh-fee/
- British English – /lek-si-kO-gruh-fee/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English: /ˌlɛksəˈkɑɡɹəfɪ/
- British English: /ˌleksɪˈkɒgɹəfɪ/
Usage Notes
- Plural: lexicographies
- A (noun) lexicographer (adverb) lexicographically writes dictionaries using (adjective) lexicographic or (adjective) lexicographical methods.
Related Video
Additional Information
- Sociolinguistics Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “lexicography” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Lynch, Jack. 2013. The Lexicographer’s Dilemma: The Evolution of ‘Proper’ English, from Shakespeare to South Park. New York: Walker.
- Singh, Ishtla. 2005. The History of English: A Students Guide. London: Hodder Arnold.
- Wolman, David. 2008. Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling. New York: Smithsonian Books/HarperCollins.
Related Terms
- grammar
- kinesics
- language
- morpheme
- nonlinguistic symbol
- phoneme
- phonology
- semantics
- sociolinguistics
- speech
- symbol
Cite the Definition of Lexicography
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2017. “lexicography.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved June 5, 2023 (https://sociologydictionary.org/lexicography/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
lexicography. (2017). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/lexicography/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2017. “lexicography.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/lexicography/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“lexicography.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2017. Web. 5 Jun. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/lexicography/>.