noun

morphology

mor-FOL-uh-jee

Morphology (noun) means the study of the form and structure of living things, or the form and structure themselves. Example: “Leaf morphology helps botanists tell the two species apart.”

noun

The study of the form and structure of living things, or the form and structure themselves.

"Leaf morphology helps botanists tell the two species apart."

"The scan revealed an abnormal morphology in the heart valve."

The branch of linguistics dealing with how words are built out of smaller meaningful units such as roots, prefixes and suffixes.

"English morphology is relatively simple compared with that of Finnish."

"The suffix -ness is a familiar example from English morphology."

The overall shape and arrangement of something, such as a landscape, a city or a material.

"Urban morphology explains why the old quarter has such narrow streets."

How to Use Morphology

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe shape and structure of something, or the study of it.

When to use it

Academic and technical; the field is understood from context.

Memory tip

The adjective is morphological, and the adverb morphologically.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

anatomy → syntax → physiology →

Common pairings

cell morphology urban morphology derivational morphology morphology and syntax

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Leaf _____ helps botanists tell the two species apart.

Etymology

From Greek morphe 'form' and -logia 'study of'.

Origin: Greek

Rhymes for morphology

eulogy apology zoology biology ecology analogy geology trilogy etiology pedagogy theology ideology

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between morphology and syntax?

Morphology deals with the internal structure of words, such as how 'unhappiness' is built from un-, happy and -ness. Syntax deals with how words are arranged into phrases and sentences. Morphology works below the word; syntax works above it.

What is the difference between morphology and anatomy?

Anatomy describes the internal parts of an organism and how they fit together, often through dissection. Morphology is broader, covering external form and shape as well, and it is often used comparatively across species.

What is a morpheme?

A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in a language. 'Cats' has two: 'cat' and the plural '-s'.