morphology

IPA/mɔːˈfɒlədʒi/
KK[mɔrfˈɑlədʒi]IPA/mɔːrˈfɑːlədʒi/

morphology — noun

1. the study of how living things are shaped and what their body parts look like on

1.nounC1
Definition

the study of how living things are shaped and what their body parts look like on the outside and the inside

Example

A sunflower's morphology changes as it grows from a seed into a tall plant.

morphology as subject; morphology of + [organism]

Felipe studied the morphology of frogs to understand how their bodies develop over time.

subject + study + morphology of + [organism]

Common collocations
  • plant morphology
  • animal morphology
  • body morphology
  • external morphology
  • morphology of a species
Synonyms
  • form

    less scientific; can refer to any shape, not just of living things

  • structure

    broader; also used for non-living things such as buildings or sentences

  • anatomy

    mainly about internal body parts; overlap with morphology but not identical

Grammar Patterns

morphology + of + [organism / organ / species]

Usage Note

Frequently used in academic biology writing. While 'anatomy' focuses on internal body parts, 'morphology' covers both external shape and internal structure. The term can also refer to the study of landforms (geomorphology), but that is a separate, narrower field.

Common Mistakes

Anatomy and morphology mean the same thing.
Anatomy focuses on internal body parts, while morphology covers both external shape and internal structure.
the two terms overlap but are not synonyms.

2. the area of language study that looks at how words are built from smaller meanin

2.nounC1
Definition

the area of language study that looks at how words are built from smaller meaningful parts, such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots

Example

In English class, Darius learned how morphology explains the meaning of words like 'unhappiness'.

morphology explaining word formation from parts

Ayesha studied morphology to understand how adding a prefix can change a word's meaning completely.

subject + study + morphology + infinitive clause of purpose

Common collocations
  • English morphology
  • linguistic morphology
  • basic morphology
  • morphology of a language
  • derivational morphology
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • syntax

    the study of sentence structure, the opposite branch of grammar from morphology

Grammar Patterns

morphology + of + [language]

[modifier] + morphology

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'syntax', which studies how words combine into sentences. Morphology deals with the internal structure of words themselves. Often taught alongside phonology and syntax in introductory linguistics courses.

Common Mistakes

Morphology is about how words form sentences.
Morphology is about how words are built from parts; syntax is about how words form sentences.
morphology and syntax are different branches of linguistics.

Word family

  • morphological
    adjectiveC1
  • morphologically
    adverbC1
  • morphologist
    nounC1
  • morpheme
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all relate to the organization of living things, but they focus on different aspects. 'Morphology' covers the overall shape and structure of an organism, inside and out. 'Anatomy' is narrower, concentrating on internal body parts such as organs and bones. 'Structure' is much broader — it can apply to anything organized, from a building to a sentence. 'Form' is the most general term of the four, simply referring to the visible shape of something. 'Physiology' looks at how the parts of a living thing work and function, not what they look like. For example, a biologist might study the morphology of a bird's wing (its shape and parts), the anatomy of the wing (bones and muscles inside), and the physiology of the wing (how it moves during flight).

anatomy ↗structure ↗form ↗physiology ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinGermanEnglish

The word 'morphology' comes from Greek 'morphē' (μορφή), meaning 'form' or 'shape', combined with '-logia' (-λογία), meaning 'the study of'. The term was first used in the early 19th century by German poet and scientist Goethe, who used it for the study of biological form. It was later adopted by linguists in the mid-1800s for the study of word forms.