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a narrow opening
a difference, particularly an unwanted one, causing separation between two people, situations, or opinions
a clear difference between two amounts, numbers, or groups
an empty space between two things or within something
a pause or break that interrupts something from continuing smoothly
a pass between mountain peaks
an empty or unpronounced position within a sentence or phrase, typically representing a missing word or element that is implied or understood from the context
What is a "gap"?
In linguistics, a gap refers to the absence of a word or phrase that is expected in a sentence, usually because it has been omitted for clarity or efficiency. Gaps often occur in constructions like gapping, where repeated elements are left out, or in relative clauses, where the missing element is understood from the context. For example, in the sentence "I want to go hiking, and she does too," there is a gap after "does" where the phrase "want to go hiking" would typically be expected. Understanding gaps is important for analyzing sentence structure and how meaning is conveyed in language without unnecessary repetition.
an opportunity for a product or service that is not currently available
to create a space or opening in something
