Learn English – Difference between phrase and idiom
idiomsphrasesword-choice
What is the difference between a phrase and an idiom?
Best Answer
A phrase is “a small group of words standing together as a conceptual unit”, while an idiom is “a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words”. So, the difference is that an idiom as an established meaning not directly linked to the individual words. Any idiom is a phrase.
As an example, “raining cats and dogs” is both an idiom and a phrase. “A herd of cats” is a phrase but not an idiom.
Simply put, an expression is more like a saying, an idiomatic way of expressing something in less literal, less familiar terms:
How do you do? is just an expression: you don't expect someone
to actually tell you how he is doing;
he should just say how do you do?
back, because it means little more
than "hello".
A phrase is just any sequence of words, usually less than a sentence:
rip them out
even the Aztec women
before the Spaniards
reloading muskets
because they could never have continued their rituals without
capturing large numbers of enemy
soldiers (this one is dubious,
because "clause" would be a more
specific and thus better name)
A great many expressions are also phrases, like put behind bars or heaven forbid.
The word "remainder" can be used as a synonym for "rest" ("We finished the remainder of last night's stew"). However "remainder" also has certain specific meanings, and is more commonly used in those contexts.
Math: the leftover portion following a division operation. 43 divided by 10 equals 4 with a remainder of 3.
Publishing: a book sold at a discount (usually a work that's losing popularity).
Best Answer
A phrase is “a small group of words standing together as a conceptual unit”, while an idiom is “a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words”. So, the difference is that an idiom as an established meaning not directly linked to the individual words. Any idiom is a phrase.
As an example, “raining cats and dogs” is both an idiom and a phrase. “A herd of cats” is a phrase but not an idiom.