Which statement defines an idiom?

Which statement defines an idiom?

• A. An idiom is a phrase with a meaning not predictable from the individual words
• B. An idiom is a literal phrase
• C. An idiom is a fixed sentence pattern
• D. An idiom is a synonym phrase

Answer: (A)

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be predicted from the literal meanings of its individual words. This is why expressions like “kick the bucket” or “spill the beans” convey meanings (to die, to reveal a secret) that aren’t obvious from the words themselves. Idioms are learned as fixed units within a language and often reflect cultural usage, so their meanings are conventional rather than literal. That makes the statement describing an idiom as a phrase with a meaning not predictable from the individual words the best choice. The other descriptions describe literal phrases (where meaning follows the words), or focus on form rather than meaning (a fixed sentence pattern), or refer to synonyms, which isn’t what defines an idiom.

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be predicted from the literal meanings of its individual words. This is why expressions like “kick the bucket” or “spill the beans” convey meanings (to die, to reveal a secret) that aren’t obvious from the words themselves. Idioms are learned as fixed units within a language and often reflect cultural usage, so their meanings are conventional rather than literal. That makes the statement describing an idiom as a phrase with a meaning not predictable from the individual words the best choice.

The other descriptions describe literal phrases (where meaning follows the words), or focus on form rather than meaning (a fixed sentence pattern), or refer to synonyms, which isn’t what defines an idiom.