Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

polysemous

/ˌpɑːl.iˈsiː.məs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.11 in modern English

Syllables: pol-y-se-mous
IPA: /ˌpɑːl.iˈsiː.məs/

17

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Synonym of polysemic.

Example Sentences

"But just how are the meanings associated with a polysemous word related? A look at the entries for polysemous words in different dictionaries shows that lexicographers cannot agree on how to divide up the semantic space […]"

Etymology

From Medieval Latin polysēmus, from Ancient Greek πολύσημος (polúsēmos), from πολύς (polús, “many”) + σημαίνω (sēmaínō, “I signify, mean”).

Origin

Source language: Ancient Greek

Word Breakdown

Root: polysēmus, πολύσημος

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌpɑːl.iˈsiː.məs/
British English: /pəˈlɪs.ɪ.məs/

Derived Forms

nonpolysemous polysemously polysemousness

Frequently Paired Words

bisemous polysemy

Synonyms

polysemic polysemantic

Questions

How do you pronounce polysemous?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌpɑːl.iˈsiː.məs/.
What does polysemous mean?: Synonym of polysemic.
Where does polysemous come from?: It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce polysemous

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “polysemous”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌpɑːl.iˈsiː.məs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “polysemous”.
Repeat and practice — Say “polysemous” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.