Definition

Relating to a stage in language development where a single word is used to express a complete idea or meaning.

Example

In the holophrastic stage, a child might say 'milk' to mean 'I want milk.'

Conversation

I was reading about language development, and I came across the term holophrastic speech.

Oh, interesting! What does that mean exactly?

It refers to when kids use single words to express whole ideas, like saying 'milk' to mean they want milk.

That makes sense! It's amazing how much meaning can be packed into just one word.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Holophrastic → It is formed from "holo-" (from Greek "holos", meaning whole or entire) and "phrastic" (from Greek "phrasis", meaning speech or expression). The word describes a form of speech that expresses a whole idea in a single word or phrase, thus conveying complete meaning.

Memory Tip

Think of 'whole' ('holo-') speech or expression ('phrastic') to remember that 'holophrastic' refers to conveying a complete idea in one expression.

Visually Confused Words