Definitions for syntax error

This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word syntax error

Princeton's WordNet

  1. syntax error(noun)

    an error of language resulting from code that does not conform to the syntax of the programming language

    "syntax errors can be recognized at compilation time"; "a common syntax error is to omit a parenthesis"


  1. Syntax error

    In computer science, a syntax error refers to an error in the syntax of a sequence of characters or tokens that is intended to be written in a particular programming language. For compiled languages syntax errors occur strictly at compile-time. A program will not compile until all syntax errors are corrected. For interpreted languages, however, not all syntax errors can be reliably detected until run-time, and it is not necessarily simple to differentiate a syntax error from a semantic error; many don't try at all. In 8-bit home computers that used BASIC interpreter as their primary user interface, the SYNTAX ERROR error message became somewhat notorious, as this was the response to any command or user input the interpreter couldn't parse. A syntax error may also occur when an invalid equation is entered into a calculator. This can be caused, for instance, by opening brackets without closing them, or less commonly, entering several decimal points in one number. In Java the following is a syntactically correct statement: while the following is not: A compiler will flag a syntax error when given source code that does not meet the requirements of the language grammar.


Find a translation for the syntax error definition in other languages:

Select another language:

Discuss these syntax error definitions with the community:


Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:


"syntax error." STANDS4 LLC, 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. < error>.

Are we missing a good definition for syntax error?

The Web's Largest Resource for

Definitions & Translations

A Member Of The STANDS4 Network

Nearby & related entries:

Alternative searches for syntax error: