Semantics
noun /sɪˈmæn.tɪks/ — The study of meaning in language
Definition
The branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning — what words and sentences actually mean, how meaning is created, and how it changes with context.
Beyond the definition
The discipline that takes 'but what do you actually mean?' seriously as an intellectual project.
Origin & history
From Greek 'semantikos' (significant, meaningful) — from 'sema' (sign). The study of signs and what they signify.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The argument had become purely about semantics — neither side disagreed about the facts.
Semantics isn't pedantry. Meaning is what everything else depends on.
The semantic shift in how the word was used over two centuries told the whole social history.
Synonyms
meaning, signification, sense, denotation
Related words
- syntax
- epistemology
- hermeneutics
- semiotics
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Heated argument between two adults
Two adults at a table exhibit angry, pointed gestures and hostile expressions while one raises a hand for a pause.
The argument highlights the difficulty of semantics—the struggle over the meaning of words. The hostility shows that the disagreement isn't just about the words themselves, but about how those words are being used and interpreted within the specific context.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration