From Late Latin phrasis, from Ancient Greek φράσις, from φράζω ("I tell, express").

• enPR: frāz, IPA: /fɹeɪz/

phrase (plural phrases)

1. A short written or spoken expression.

   Hypernyms: syntagma

2. (grammar) A word or, more commonly, a group of words that functions as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence, usually consisting of a head, or central word, and elaborating words.
3. (music) A small section of music in a larger piece.
4. (archaic) A mode or form of speech; diction; expression.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene vi]:

     Thou speak'st / In better phrase and matter than thou didst.

   • 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part II”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC ↗, page 39 ↗:

     […] From out a common vein of memory / Sweet household talk, and phrases of the hearth, […]

5. (dance) A short individual motion forming part of a choreographed dance.

• figure of speech, locution
• See also Thesaurus:phrase

• French: expression, locution
• German: Redewendung, Phrase
• Italian: espressione, polirematica
• Portuguese: expressão, frase
• Russian: фра́за
• Spanish: expresión, frase

• French: syntagme, phrase (sentence)
• German: Phrase
• Italian: locuzione, polirematica, frase
• Portuguese: locução, sintagma
• Russian: словосочета́ние
• Spanish: sintagma

• French: phrase
• German: Phrase
• Italian: frase
• Portuguese: frase
• Russian: фра́за
• Spanish: frase

phrase (phrases, present participle phrasing; simple past and past participle phrased)

1. (transitive) To express (an action, thought or idea) by means of particular words.

   I wasn't sure how to phrase my condolences without sounding patronising.

   • 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene i]:

     These suns — for so they phrase 'em.

   • 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey's Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC ↗, chapter I (Anarchy), page 373 ↗, column 2:

     Little disappointed, then, she turned attention to "Chat of the Social World," gossip which exercised potent fascination upon the girl's intelligence. She devoured with more avidity than she had her food those pretentiously phrased chronicles of the snobocracy—[…]—distilling therefrom an acid envy that robbed her napoleon of all its flavor.

2. (intransitive, music) To perform a passage with the correct phrasing.
3. (transitive, music) To divide into melodic phrases.

• paraphrase
• rephrase

• Russian: фрази́ровать

• French: exprimer, formuler
• German: formulieren
• Italian: esprimere, redigere
• Portuguese: exprimir, expressar
• Russian: формули́ровать
• Spanish: formular, expresar, frasear

• French: phraser
• Russian: фрази́ровать