exocentric

1. Of or relating to a group of syntactically related words, none of which is functionally equivalent to the function of the whole group. For example, none of the words in the phrase on the table is an adverb, yet they combine to form a phrase having adverbial function.
2. Of or relating to a compound word whose referent is not the same as the referents of any of its constituent parts. For example, the noun razorback does not refer to a type of back, but to a type of hog (one having a sharply ridged back).

The adjective has one meaning:

Meaning #1: grammar; not fulfilling the same grammatical role of any of its constituents--as"until last Easter"--which serves as an adverb
  Antonym: endocentric (meaning #1)

Exocentric has a number of meanings.

In linguistics, it refers to phrases and compound words which are not the same part of speech as their constituents.

For example, the word "shortcoming" is exocentric, since it is a noun, but its two constituents are an adjective and a verb.

See also

• Endocentric
• Exocentric compound
• Exocentric environment

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