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

The distinction isn’t semantic. —Harrison Monarth, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

Zamenhof believed that the constant clashes in his hometown and beyond were, above all, the product of semantic heterogeneity. —Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026

As these instances suggest, the line between anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist is often merely semantic. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026

Anthropic also isn’t alone in its philosophy of maintaining an un-opinionated harness, largely clear of structured semantic data and the like. —ArsTechnica, 15 May 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