Polysemy (Noun)
Meaning
The ambiguity of an individual word or phrase that can be used (in different contexts) to express two or more different meanings.
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
Examples
- The word "bank" is a classic example of polysemy, as it can refer to a financial institution or the side of a river.
- In linguistics, polysemy is often studied to understand how words can have multiple related meanings.
- The term "head" is another example of polysemy, as it can refer to the upper part of the human body or the leader of an organization.
- Polysemy can lead to confusion in communication, especially when words have multiple unrelated meanings.
- The word "spring" is a prime example of polysemy, as it can refer to a season, a type of coiled metal object, or a source of water.