semantics

[ si-man-tiks ]

noun

, (used with a singular verb)

1. Linguistics.
   1. the study of meaning.
   2. the study of linguistic development by classifying and examining changes in meaning and form.
2. Also called significs. the branch of semiotics dealing with the relations between signs and what they denote.
3. the meaning, or an interpretation of the meaning, of a word, sign, sentence, etc.:

   Let's not argue about semantics.

4. general semantics.

semantics

/ sɪˈmæntɪks /

noun

1. the branch of linguistics that deals with the study of meaning, changes in meaning, and the principles that govern the relationship between sentences or words and their meanings
2. the study of the relationships between signs and symbols and what they represent
3. logic
   1. the study of interpretations of a formal theory
   2. the study of the relationship between the structure of a theory and its subject matter
   3. (of a formal theory) the principles that determine the truth or falsehood of sentences within the theory, and the references of its terms

semantics

1. The scientific or philosophical study of the relations of words and their meanings.

Notes

Semantics is commonly used to refer to a trivial point or distinction that revolves around mere words rather than significant issues: “To argue whether the medication killed the patient or contributed to her death is to argue over semantics.”

Derived Forms

• seˈmanticist, noun

Other Words From

• se·man·ti·cist [si-, man, -t, uh, -sist], se·man·ti·cian [see-man-, tish, -, uh, n], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of semantics¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; semantic, -ics

Example Sentences

Ryan Mac: But on the semantics, Twitter does not exist anymore.

From Los Angeles Times

But asked why his solo record wasn’t a Toto album — Paich and Williams are both all over it — he says, “Don’t want to deal with fighting people over semantics.”

From Los Angeles Times

"The minister shouldn’t seek to shelter behind semantics in saying to me that this was a commitment to explore reform of the school day."

From BBC

I don’t really understand why you took yourself out of consideration based on semantics.

From New York Times

The word choice is not merely a question of semantics but gets to the heart of the ultimate goal of the anti-abortion movement: fetal personhood, and prohibiting abortion entirely.

From New York Times