adjective
Uncommon
grammatical
gruh-MAT-ih-kul
Grammatical (adjective) means following the rules of grammar of a language. Example: “The sentence is grammatical, even though its meaning is odd.”
adjective
1
Following the rules of grammar of a language.
"The sentence is grammatical, even though its meaning is odd."
"Her essay was full of ideas, but not every line was grammatical."
"Linguists ask native speakers whether a given phrase sounds grammatical."
2
Relating to grammar.
"He explained the grammatical differences between the two languages."
"The teacher marked each grammatical error in red."
"A grammatical mistake can change the meaning of a sentence."
How to use grammatical
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCorrect according to the rules of grammar, or to do with grammar.
When to use it
It is neutral and common in teaching, editing and linguistics.
Memory tip
Being grammatical is about form, so a grammatical sentence is not necessarily true, sensible or well styled.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
grammatical error
grammatical mistake
grammatical structure
perfectly grammatical
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Fill the gap
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The sentence is _____, even though its meaning is odd.
Etymology
The word came into English from Middle French grammatical, which in turn comes from Latin grammaticālis.
Synonyms
View more →
grammatic
Antonyms
ungrammatical
Rhymes for grammatical
See all rhymes for grammatical →Frequently asked questions
What does grammatical mean?
Grammatical describes language that follows the rules of grammar. It can also simply mean relating to grammar, as in a grammatical error.
What is the opposite of grammatical?
The usual opposite is ungrammatical, describing wording that breaks the rules of grammar.
Can a sentence be grammatical but still make no sense?
Yes. A sentence can follow every rule of grammar and still have a strange or meaningless message.
What is the meaning of grammatical?
"grammatical" (adjective) means following the rules of grammar of a language.
