Semantics

/sɪˈmæn.tɪks/

Meaning & Definition

noun

The branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning.

The semantics of a sentence determines its logical structure.

Meaning or the study of meaning in language.

In our discussion, we focused on the semantics of the term 'freedom'.

The meaning of a word, phrase, or text.

She pointed out the semantics of the legal terms used in the contract.

The implications or nuances of a particular term or phrase.

The semantics of his argument changed once he clarified his definitions.

Derived from the Greek 'semantikos', meaning 'significant'.

semantic meaning

The interpretation or significance of a term within a specific context.

semantic network

A representation of knowledge in a network format, where concepts are connected by relationships.

semantic memory

The part of long-term memory that processes ideas and concepts that are not drawn from personal experience.

syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

morphology

The study of the form of words and their components.

pragmatics

The branch of linguistics that deals with language in use and the contexts in which it is used.

Overly analyzing the meaning of something.

We were just arguing about semantics, it wasn’t that serious.

Arguing over trivial details of meaning.

Stop playing semantics and get to the point!