semantics

noun

se·​man·​tics si-ˈman-tiks 

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

1

linguistics : the study of meanings:

a

: the historical and psychological study and the classification of changes in the signification of words or forms viewed as factors in linguistic development

Semantics is the study of meaning in language. The term did not come to be widely used until the 20th century, but the subject it represents is very old, reaching back to the writings of Plato and Aristotle, and attracting the special interest of philosophers, logicians, and (these days) linguists.

—David Crystal

b(1)

: the study of signs and symbols and how they are used : semiotics

(2)

: a branch of semiotics dealing with the relations between signs and what they refer to and including theories of denotation, extension, naming, and truth

2

a

: the meaning or relationship of meanings of a sign (such as a word or morpheme) or set of signs

One key element of human language is semantics, the connection of words with meanings.

—Betsy Mason

especially : connotative meaning

Farming doesn't even have a universal definition among humans, and the semantics only get messier when the concept is applied to other species.

—Katherine J. Wu

At a certain point, one realizes, the difference between Bond villain and billionaire is simply a matter of semantics.

—Jennifer Wilson

b

: the language used (as in advertising or political propaganda) to achieve a desired effect on an audience especially through the use of words with novel or dual meanings

There is a point to this game of political semantics.

—Stone Fish, quoted at CNN

3

: general semantics

Examples of semantics in a Sentence

More than semantics is at stake. In the case of obesity, the debate has heightened in the wake of major diet-pill recalls last year. Many new diet nostrums are in various stages of testing, and the FDA's bar for approving new drugs is lower for disease treatments than for other problems, such as baldness or skin wrinkles. —Laura Johannes et al., Wall Street Journal, 9 Feb. 1998

Over the years Wierzbicka has gained a distinct reputation for playing hardball with others in the linguistics community. Though her rhetoric can be rather scathing at times, there is no question that her studies in semantics are a force to be reckoned with. —Joseph Hilferty, Word, April 1997

Word History

Etymology

semant(ic) + -ics, in part after French sémantique

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Phrases Containing semantics

• general semantics
• generative semantics
• matter of semantics

Rhymes for semantics

• romantics
• antics

Kids Definition

semantics

singular or plural noun

se·​man·​tics si-ˈmant-iks 

: the study of meanings and changes of meaning

semanticist

si-ˈmant-ə-səst

noun

Medical Definition

semantics

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

se·​man·​tics si-ˈmant-iks 

: the study of meanings:

a

: the historical and psychological study and the classification of changes in the signification of words or forms viewed as factors in linguistic development

b(1)

: semiotic

(2)

: a branch of semiotic dealing with the relations between signs and what they refer to and including theories of denotation, extension, naming, and truth