content word


noun

a word, typically a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb, that carries semantic content, bearing reference to the world independently of its use within a particular sentence (distinguished from function word).

Origin of content word

First recorded in 1935–40

British Dictionary definitions for content word

content word
/ (ˈkɒntɛnt) /

noun

a word to which an independent meaning can be given by reference to a world outside any sentence in which the word may occur Compare function word, lexical meaning