Definition of SYNTAX
1
a
: sentence structure : the way in which linguistic elements (such as words) are put together to form phrases, clauses, or sentences
Throughout, the syntax is punchy and slangy, while the diction often grows brazenly recondite.—
Michael Dirda
b
: the part of grammar dealing with this
… the sounds and syntax of natural languages evolve over hundreds of years …—Matteo Wong
c
: the rules governing the ways in which the elements of a computer programming language are allowed to be combined to form commands or instructions
Learning the syntax of a programming language—for example, where to place colons and where indentation is required—takes a lot of time for many students.—Daniel Zingaro
locate a syntax error [=a violation of the rules of syntax in a piece of code that prevents a program from running properly] in the app's code
also : computing language or code arranged according to these rules
2
: a connected or orderly system : harmonious arrangement of parts or elements
the syntax of classical architecture
… researchers … talk about syntax in plant communication …—Elizabeth A. Harris
Did you know?
Syntax is basically about what word comes before and after another word; in other words, it's part of the larger subject of grammar. Syntax is often an issue in poetry, and it's usually discussed in connection with diction—that is, the poet's choice of words. So, for example, your English professor might point out the syntactic difference between "Whose woods these are I think I know" and "I think I know whose woods these are;" whereas if the discussion was about diction instead, the question might be about the choice of "woods" rather than "land", or "think" rather than "bet".
Examples of syntax in a Sentence
Everyone has good days and bad days. Her syntax is sometimes a world unto itself. But George H.W. Bush occasionally sounded as though English were more foe than friend, and he was an astute president who managed complexity with skill and balance.
—Jon Meacham, Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2008
Coming from a great distance and wholly unrelated to the Teutonic, Latin and Slav languages that fence it in, Hungarian has remained miraculously intact. Everything about the language is different, not only the words themselves, but the way they are formed, the syntax and grammar and above all the cast of mind that brought them into being.
—Patrick Leigh Fermor, Between the Woods and the Water, 1986
“I saw that she a cookie ate” is an example of incorrect syntax.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For the past fifty years, the predominant theory held that our capacity to parse complicated syntax rested on specialized, innate faculties.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The stylistic choice stood in stark contrast to other tech power players in the same exchanges, like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI chairman Bret Taylor, whose messages show more traditional attention to grammar and syntax.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
For writers like me—less stylistically steady, less given to a consistency of diction and syntax—there’s still a through-line.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
The syntax of the subdivision (a) provision confirms the point.
—James M. McGuire, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for syntax
Word History
Etymology
Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French sintaxe, from Late Latin syntaxis, from Greek, from syntassein to arrange together, from syn- + tassein to arrange
First Known Use
1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of syntax was in 1548
Browse Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
“Syntax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syntax. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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