syllabic
1 of 2adjective
syl·lab·ic sə-ˈla-bik 
1
: constituting a syllable or the nucleus of a syllable:
a
: not accompanied in the same syllable by a vowel
a syllabic consonant
b
: having vowel quality more prominent than that of another vowel in the syllable
the first vowel of a falling diphthong, as \\ȯ\\ in \\ȯi\\, is syllabic
2
: of, relating to, or denoting syllables
syllabic accent
3
: characterized by distinct enunciation or separation of syllables
4
: of, relating to, or constituting a type of verse distinguished primarily by count of syllables rather than by rhythmical arrangement of accents or quantities
syllabically
sə-ˈla-bi-k(ə-)lē
adverb syllabic
2 of 2noun
: a syllabic character or sound
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
New York Times, 11 Nov. 2021 Germany’s nearly four-month-long lockdown has entailed no restrictions on the language’s propensity for multi-syllabic, often tongue-twisting words. Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2021 First pushed to write lyrics by Billy Joe Shaver of the Texas Playboys, Shires’ work today evokes the phrasing, narrative forms and syllabic alignment familiar to contemporary fiction or poetry. oregonlive, 27 Feb. 2020 In total, the show had upwards of 20 artists taking the stage to perform disjointed sets over their own vocals, with unusually long and awkward multi-syllabic call and responses chants. Marcel Friday, Billboard, 18 June 2018 People who hear laurel are hearing a syllabic l in the second syllable, which has some similarities to the vowel sound at the end of yanny. Rachel Gutman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2018 See Cam’ron at this hometown show for a reminder of his syllabic splendor. New York Times, 21 Dec. 2017 And with that, sensing there were no more multi-syllabic answers on the horizon, the questions ceased. C. Trent Rosecrans, Cincinnati.com, 29 Sep. 2017 For English speakers, another huge obstacle may be the German language, with its syllabic pileups. Eric Asimov, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2017 The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019 Three use syllabics—characters to represent syllables—rather than the roman alphabet. The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019 Thug is also a master of the art of taking mono-syllabic exclamations and turning them into nonverbal rhythmic signatures. John Adamian, courant.com, 4 Oct. 2019 Elders who grew up with syllabics fretted that the shift to roman letters would erase part of their culture. The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019 See More
Adjective
The Americas, in turn, received the wheel, the horse, sugar, wheat, livestock, a syllabic script and, of course, rice. New York Times, 11 Nov. 2021 Germany’s nearly four-month-long lockdown has entailed no restrictions on the language’s propensity for multi-syllabic, often tongue-twisting words. Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2021 First pushed to write lyrics by Billy Joe Shaver of the Texas Playboys, Shires’ work today evokes the phrasing, narrative forms and syllabic alignment familiar to contemporary fiction or poetry. oregonlive, 27 Feb. 2020 In total, the show had upwards of 20 artists taking the stage to perform disjointed sets over their own vocals, with unusually long and awkward multi-syllabic call and responses chants. Marcel Friday, Billboard, 18 June 2018 People who hear laurel are hearing a syllabic l in the second syllable, which has some similarities to the vowel sound at the end of yanny. Rachel Gutman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2018 See Cam’ron at this hometown show for a reminder of his syllabic splendor. New York Times, 21 Dec. 2017 And with that, sensing there were no more multi-syllabic answers on the horizon, the questions ceased. C. Trent Rosecrans, Cincinnati.com, 29 Sep. 2017 For English speakers, another huge obstacle may be the German language, with its syllabic pileups. Eric Asimov, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2017 Noun
Most phones and keyboards need extra software to handle syllabics, so young Inuit text and email mainly in English, says Crystal Martin-Lapenskie of the National Inuit Youth Council. The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019 Three use syllabics—characters to represent syllables—rather than the roman alphabet. The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019 Thug is also a master of the art of taking mono-syllabic exclamations and turning them into nonverbal rhythmic signatures. John Adamian, courant.com, 4 Oct. 2019 Elders who grew up with syllabics fretted that the shift to roman letters would erase part of their culture. The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Late Latin syllabicus, from Greek syllabikos, from syllabē syllable
First Known Use
Adjective
1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1880, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
syllabic
adjective
syl·lab·ic sə-ˈla-bik
: relating to or being syllables