semantic

adjective

se·​man·​tic si-ˈman-tik 

variants or less commonly semantical

si-ˈman-ti-kəl 

1

: of or relating to meaning in language

the process of semantic development

In real estate, there's more than a semantic difference between a dead end and a cul-de-sac.

—Sue Corbett

The semantic debate over their very job title speaks to the apparent discomfort some landlords are feeling about their business model—housing as a commodity.

—Bridget Read

2

: of or relating to semantics

semantically

si-ˈman-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of semantic in a Sentence

the process of semantic development

Recent Examples on the Web

Any kind of text is going to have several elements to it, including the sound of the style, the semantic meaning of the language, and, in the case of a poem like The Odyssey, the meter. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 June 2026

Even with heavy JavaScript, semantic markup ensures accessibility, SEO relevance and answer-ready content for AI and search engines, making apps more discoverable, resilient and usable across devices and situations. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Copilot+ PCs get semantic search in File Explorer, which also works within the Windows Search box. — Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 23 June 2026

That distinction may sound technical or semantic. — Phil Lodico, Fortune, 20 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek sēmantikós "(of sounds) conveying meaning, significant, (of a circumstance) indicative," from sēmantós, verbal adjective of sēmaínein "to indicate, point out, signify, make a signal, give a sign, (in middle voice) mark, identify" (verbal derivative from the base of sēmat-, sêma "distinguishing mark, sign, token, signal, omen, tomb" and sēmeîon "marking, sign, token, signal") + -ikos -ic entry 1; sēm- in sêma and sēmeîon of uncertain origin

Note: The base sēm-, Doric sām- has been compared with Sanskrit dhyāma "thought" (attested only in lexica) and dhyā́yati "s/he thinks, contemplates." Greek sêma would then be the outcome of Indo-European *d^hi̯eh₂-mn̥-. The meanings "sign" and "thought" are too far apart, however, to support such an etymology. The derivative sēmeîon is peculiar in that -mat- is a suffix and would not ordinarily be split apart in order to add another suffix. A comparable formation is mnêma "reminder, record, memorial" and the near-synonymous mnēmeîon, though in this case the ulterior etymology is clear.

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for semantic

• atlantic
• gigantic
• pedantic
• romantic
• vedantic
• antic
• frantic
• transatlantic
• unromantic

Kids Definition

semantic

adjective

se·​man·​tic si-ˈmant-ik 

1

: of or relating to meaning in language

2

: of or relating to semantics

semantically

-ˈmant-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb