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⇱ FUNCTIONAL SHIFT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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functional shift

noun

: the process by which a word or form comes to be used in another grammatical function

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of functional shift was in 1930

Rhymes for functional shift

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Cite this Entry

“Functional shift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/functional%20shift. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

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