endocentric Definition
(linguistics) a word or phrase that is classified as belonging to the same syntactic category as its constituent elements, e.g. 'bookcase' is a noun because it is composed of two nouns.
Using endocentric: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "endocentric" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The word 'bookcase' is endocentric because it is composed of two nouns.
Example
In the phrase 'big red ball,' 'ball' is endocentric because it is a noun like its constituent adjectives.
Summary: endocentric in Brief
In linguistics, 'endocentric' [en-doh-sen-trik] refers to a word or phrase that belongs to the same syntactic category as its constituent elements. For example, 'bookcase' is a noun because it is composed of two nouns. Another example is 'big red ball,' where 'ball' is endocentric because it is a noun like its constituent adjectives.
