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

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

So what the truth is becomes a slightly semantic point. —Jenelle Riley, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024

The underlying premise is that a highly efficient compression of text would require understanding the semantic and syntactic patterns in language, similar to how a human understands it. —Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 28 Sep. 2023

By moving beyond simply reporting what is happening to providing insights on what needs to be known, a semantic data layer facilitates more informed decision making and actionable insights. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

And our deep learning classifiers have struggled to understand enough about semantic composition—the parts of an image that give it a particular meaning—and context to make those calls successfully. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2024

Complex semantic reasoning is hard to learn from robot data alone. —Sergey Levine, IEEE Spectrum, 9 Jan. 2024

FTDs include frontotemporal lobar degeneration, Pick’s disease, progressive aphasia and semantic dementia. —Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023

For example, semantic feature analysis focuses on strengthening the semantic relationships between words. —The Conversation, Scientific American, 15 Nov. 2023

However, the biggest differences seemed to occur in a brain region called the middle temporal gyrus, which is involved in processing semantic memory and language. —Popular Science, 12 Oct. 2023

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

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