English Explanatory Dictionary

semantics

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A branch of linguistics studying the meaning of words.
  2. The study of the relationship between words and their meanings.
  3. The meaning or set of meanings of a linguistic element, such as a word, morpheme or utterance.
  4. The meanings of individual words, as opposed to the overall meaning of a passage.
  5. The meaning of computer language constructs, in contrast to their form or syntax.
  6. Pettiness or triviality.

Pronunciation

/sɪˈmæntɪks/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-semantics.wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-semantics.wav

Word forms

semantics

Etymology

From French sémantique, displacing earlier semasiology. From Ancient Greek σημαντικός (sēmantikós). By surface analysis, semantic + -ics.

Related words

semantic semantisation semasiology sematic sematology seme sememe semiotic semiotics pragmatics phonology morphology grammar

Derived words

algebraic semantics applied semantics axiomatic semantics biosemantics computational semantics denotational semantics distributional semantics ethnosemantics formal semantics general semantics lexical semantics lexicosemantics mathematical semantics metasemantics minimal recursion semantics morphosemantics neurosemantics operational semantics phonosemantics psychosemantics semantics-free statistical semantics teleosemantics zoosemantics
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