Definition of “phrase” - English Dictionary

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“phrase” in English

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phrasenoun [ C ]

uk ​ /freɪz/ us ​ /freɪz/
phrasal
adjective /ˈfreɪ.zəl/ /ˈfreɪ.zəl/

Grammar

ChunksWhen we speak and write, we repeat a lot of phrases and clauses, such as on the other hand, a lot of, at the moment, you know, you see, I mean. Some of these phrases, or chunks of language, are very common and they have specific meanings. …
Chunks in speakingWe use chunks like you know, you know what I mean, I know what you’re saying to check and show understanding between speaker and listener: …
Chunks in writingWe use many chunks in writing. They help us to structure what we write: …
Chunks as framesSome chunks don’t look complete (I don’t know if, in the middle of). These usually help make up or frame sentences: …
Noun phrasesA noun phrase consists of a noun or pronoun, which is called the head, and any dependent words before or after the head. Dependent words give specific information about the head. …
Noun phrases: dependent wordsIn a noun phrase, dependent words before the head are either determiners (e.g. the, my, some) or premodifiers (e.g. adjectives). Dependent words after the head are either complements or postmodifiers. …
Noun phrases: determiners (a, the, my, his, some, this, etc.)Determiners come first in a noun phrase (e.g. the big black car). They include: …
Noun phrases: premodifiers (big, good, red)Premodifiers consist of single adjectives, adjective phrases, single nouns and noun phrases which are used before the head in a noun phrase. …
Noun phrases: complementsComplements come immediately after the head in a noun phrase. They are prepositional phrases or clauses which are necessary to complete the meaning of the noun. Without the complement, we wouldn’t understand what the noun was referring to. …
Noun phrases: postmodifiersPostmodifiers come after the head in a noun phrase. They consist of adverb phrases, prepositional phrases and clauses. Postmodifiers give extra or specific information about the noun (e.g. place, possession, identifying features). Unlike complements, they are not necessary to complete the meaning. …
Noun phrases: complements or postmodifiers?Complements are necessary to complete the meaning of a noun. Postmodifiers are not necessary; they give extra information about the noun which helps to identify it or locate it in some way. (The complement and the postmodifier are underlined below.) …
Noun phrases: orderBefore the head of a noun phrase, determiners come first, then adjectives, then nouns acting as modifiers. The spoken stress is normally on the head. …
Noun phrases: uses …
Noun phrases: noun phrases and verbs …
Noun phrases: two noun phrases togetherWe can put two noun phrases (np) together to refer to the same person or thing. This is called apposition: …
Verb phrasesA verb phrase consists of a main verb alone, or a main verb plus any modal and/or auxiliary verbs. The main verb always comes last in the verb phrase: …
Simple verb phrasesA simple verb phrase consists of a main verb. The verb in a simple verb phrase shows the type of clause (e.g. declarative, imperative): …
Complex verb phrasesA complex verb phrase may include one modal verb and one or more auxiliary verbs before the main verb. A modal verb always comes before any auxiliary verbs: …
Verbs and verb phrases: typical errors …
Phrase classesThe different word classes can form the basis of phrases. When they do this, they operate as the head of the phrase. So, a noun operates as the head of a noun phrase, a verb as the head of a verb phrase, and so on. Heads of phrases (H) can have words before them (e.g. determiners (det), adjectives (adj), adverbs (adv)) or after them (e.g. postmodifiers (pm) or complements (c)): …

phraseverb [ T usually + adv/prep ]

uk ​ /freɪz/ us ​ /freɪz/

(Definition of “phrase” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“phrase” in American English

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phrasenoun [ C ]

us ​ /freɪz/

› a group of words expressing a particular idea or meaning:

I think the phrase "bundle of energy" describes Mara very well.

› grammar A phrase is a group of words forming a part of a sentence:

In "He was a man of great wealth," "of great wealth" is a prepositional phrase.

› music A phrase is also a group of notes with a clear beginning and ending within a larger piece of music.

phrasal
adjective us ​ /ˈfreɪ·zəl/

phraseverb [ T ]

us ​ /freɪz/

› to express something in a particular way when speaking or writing:

The wording of his resignation was carefully phrased to avoid any admission of guilt.

(Definition of “phrase” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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phrase

They have lost faith in the current machinery and mechanisms to control and remove risk from "farm to table", in the phrase that is so often used.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
We need, as the phrase goes, research by women, for women - so that the gender implications of the research we undertake are examined - and about women.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
We are asking it to demonstrate in this way that defining employment as the number one priority is not a hollow phrase.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
In my view, that would also be useful in terms of risk assessment, the key phrase here being the collection of accident data.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
In paragraph 1© the second point which was voted on, there is the phrase: "takes account in this connection of the attached text' .
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
I like his phrase 'lean and clean'.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
As such, the 'femalisation' - if you will permit the phrase - of immigration is a new challenge which must be studied and taken into account in all our policies.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
What does this phrase really mean?
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
In order to avoid unnecessary administrative costs, we have agreed to the simple registration of employment effects - or employment impact assessment, to use a fine phrase - but without any snags.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
The phrase is excessive, superfluous, absurd!
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English

Blogs about "phrase"

Mad as a box of frogs? Phrases that suddenly become popular.

by Liz Walter,

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