fixed expression
Unvarying word combination
A fixed expression is a phrase whose words stay in a set order and carry meaning as a unit: by and large, all of a sudden, kick the bucket.
Unlike free combinations of words, you can't rearrange or substitute parts without losing the meaning or sounding unnatural.
Idioms, proverbs, and stock phrases are all types of fixed expressions.
- idiomFixed phrase, opaque meaning
- phraseWords forming partial meaning
- set phraseFixed multi-word expression
- clichéOverused, unoriginal expression
- dead metaphorFigurative phrase now literal-seeming
proverb · saying · collocation · frozen · set in stone · formulaic · stock phrase · turn of phrase · word for word · verbal · linguistic · habitual · conventional · by the book · routine · memorized · unchanging · rigid
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