Definition & Bedeutung von "content word"

What is a "content word"?

A content word is a type of word that carries significant meaning in a sentence, typically including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. These words convey the core ideas and information, allowing listeners or readers to understand the main concepts being communicated. For example, in the sentence "The cat quickly climbed the tall tree," the words "cat," "climbed," "tall," and "tree" are content words, as they provide essential details about the subject and action. In contrast, function words, such as prepositions, conjunctions, and articles, serve grammatical purposes and help structure sentences but do not add much meaning on their own. Content words play a crucial role in effective communication by conveying the key messages.