set phrase

IPA/ˌset ˈfreɪz/
IPA/ˌset ˈfreɪz/

set phrase — noun

1. a group of words that people say or write in one unchanging order, so you cannot

1.nounC1
Definition

a group of words that people say or write in one unchanging order, so you cannot swap, drop, or add words without it sounding wrong.

Example

Rachid taught his class that "by and large" is a set phrase you should never change.

describing a fixed multi-word expression that cannot be altered

Learners often break a set phrase by saying "make a decision quickly" as "do a decision".

set phrase contrasted with a wrong substitution

Common collocations
  • common set phrase
  • learn set phrases
  • use a set phrase
Synonyms
  • fixed expression

    everyday near-equivalent; both mean wording that does not change

  • idiom

    narrower: an idiom's meaning cannot be guessed from its words, while a set phrase may be transparent

  • collocation

    looser: words that often go together but still allow some variation

Usage Note

Distinguish from a free combination of words: a set phrase keeps a fixed form, while ordinary phrases let you change the words freely. Often the meaning of the whole differs from its separate words.

Common Mistakes

a set phrases
a set phrase' / 'set phrases
'set phrase' is countable, so use a singular or plural form, not 'a' before the plural.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A set phrase, an idiom, and a collocation all describe words that travel together, but they differ in how fixed and how transparent they are. A set phrase has a locked form — "how do you do" or "by and large" — and you cannot change the words, though the meaning may still be clear. An idiom is a kind of set phrase whose meaning cannot be guessed from the separate words: "kick the bucket" has nothing to do with buckets. A collocation is looser; "heavy rain" and "strong coffee" pair naturally, yet you can still adjust them ("very heavy rain"). So Rachid would teach "spill the beans" as an idiom, "make a decision" as a set phrase, and "fast food" as a collocation.

set phrase ↗idiom ↗collocation ↗

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

The term combines "set", meaning fixed or unchanging, with "phrase", a small group of words. "Set" comes from Old English settan, to cause to sit or place firmly, which gave the later sense of something put in a fixed position. "Phrase" arrived through Latin from Greek phrasis, meaning a way of speaking. Together they name wording that has been fixed in place.