Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
deictic
Adjective
/ˈdaɪ.ɛk.tɪk/
Definition
Relating to words or phrases that require contextual information to convey meaning.
Examples
- “Here is a deictic expression that refers to this moment in time.”
- “In the sentence ‘I will meet you here tomorrow,’ the words ‘I,’ ‘here,’ and ‘tomorrow’ are deictic because their meanings shift based on the context.”
Meaning
Deictic expressions are those that depend on the context of the speaker and the listener, such as time, place, or identity. They are crucial in communication, as they help situate words in a specific context.
Synonyms
- Context-dependent
- Indexical
- Contextual
