semiotics

[ see-mee-ot-iks, sem-ee-, see-mahy- ]

noun

, (used with a singular verb)

1. the study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behavior; the analysis of systems of communication, as language, gestures, or clothing.
2. a general theory of signs and symbolism, usually divided into the branches of pragmatics, semantics, and syntactics.

semiotics

/ ˌsiːmɪ-; ˌsɛmɪˈɒtɪks /

noun

1. the study of signs and symbols, esp the relations between written or spoken signs and their referents in the physical world or the world of ideas See also semantics syntactics pragmatics
2. the scientific study of the symptoms of disease; symptomatology

Other Words From

• se·mi·o·ti·cian [see-mee-, uh, -, tish, -, uh, n, sem-ee-, see-mahy-], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of semiotics¹

First recorded in 1875–80; semiotic, -ics

Example Sentences

Marcel Danesi is professor emeritus of linguistic anthropology and semiotics at the University of Toronto.

From Salon

“For 30 years, Owens’s creations … have been as much about semiotics as status,” Haramis writes.

From New York Times

Marcel Danesi is Professor Emeritus of linguistic anthropology and semiotics at the University of Toronto.

From Salon

The symbols themselves shift, even though the structure of the semiotics is always the same...

From Salon

Stallone’s presence in the earlier “Creed” movies ensured that the franchise remained tethered to his legacy, with its sequels and fraught semiotics, even if the titles no longer carried the Rocky name.

From New York Times