Phrase guide

Chomsky Normal Form

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A context-free grammar in which the right hand side of any production rule consists of either one terminal symbol or two non-terminal symbols.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: computing, computing-theory, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • Any ε-free Context Free Grammar can be converted (through an algorithm) into one in Chomsky Normal Form, and there is an algorithm that can parse formulas in the language of such a grammar in polynomial time; it is called the CYK algorithm.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A context-free grammar in which the right hand side of any production rule consists of either one terminal symbol or two non-terminal symbols (neither of which is the start symbol) or the epsilon (i.e. null string) symbol, but only if the left hand side is the start symbol. (Note: this is the full-fledged version, whereas the previous definition may be said to be defining Chomsky reduced form.)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: computing, computing-theory, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Named after Noam Chomsky (b. 1928), American linguist and philosopher, who first described it.