well-formed
/ˌwel ˈfɔːmd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌwel ˈfɔːrmd/ (ame, ipa)
well-formed — adjective
1. said or written with grammar that follows accepted rules and sounds right to nat
said or written with grammar that follows accepted rules and sounds right to native speakers
The editor said Nadia's final sentence was well-formed but too formal.
linking verb: sentence was well-formed
In the grammar quiz, only Hao wrote a well-formed question.
well-formed + question
Although the meaning was clear, Amira's opening sentence was not well-formed.
Noa's reply sounded polite, but one clause was not well-formed.
After Yan moved the verb, the sentence became well-formed.
- grammatical
the more common everyday word for language that follows grammar rules
- idiomatic
stresses sounding natural to native speakers, not only obeying rules
- correct
very broad and can refer to spelling, facts, or answers, not only grammar
- ungrammatical
breaks accepted grammar rules
- ill-formed
more technical word used in linguistics and logic
文法句型
well-formed + noun (sentence, question, clause)
be + well-formed
用法筆記
Most often used in grammar teaching and linguistics for sentences, questions, clauses, and similar language units. It is more technical than correct and is not usually used for the general quality of everyday objects.