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Definition of "syntax" []

  • The study of the rules whereby words or other elements of sentence structure are combined to form grammatical sentences. (noun)
  • A publication, such as a book, that presents such rules. (noun)
  • The pattern of formation of sentences or phrases in a language. (noun)
  • Such a pattern in a particular sentence or discourse. (noun)
  • Computer Science The rules governing the formation of statements in a programming language. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "syntax" in a sentence
  • "Screen has a sorendition command that can be used to change the attributes Screen uses for highlighting messages (you can find the command in the man-page and the syntax is also described there, although the description is a bit cryptic)."
  • "The error is, WindowsError: [Error 123] The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect."
  • "Details: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect."