morpheme
noun/ˈmɔːfiːm/
/ˈmɔːrfiːm/
(grammar)- the smallest unit of meaning that a word can be divided into
- The word ‘like’ contains one morpheme but ‘un-like-ly’ contains three.
Word Originlate 19th cent.: from French morphème, from Greek morphē ‘form’, on the pattern of French phonème ‘phoneme’.Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
morpheme