Meanings
nounsemantics (countable and uncountable, plural semantics)
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesA branch of linguistics studying the meaning of words.First known use 1893
lexical semantics
5 more examples
Holonym: linguistics
Meronyms: semasiology, onomasiology
cognitive semantics
computational semantics
historical semantics
- countableuncountableThe study of the relationship between words and their meanings.
In fact, nowadays a lot is known about the semantics of natural languages, and it is surprisingly easy to build semantic representations which partially capture the meaning of sentences or even entire discourses.
2006, Patrick Blackburn, Johan Bos, Kristina Striegnitz, Learn Prolog Now!, archived from the original on 28 Mar 2015, section 8.1 - countableuncountableThe meaning or set of meanings of a linguistic element, such as a word, morpheme or utterance.
In very ancient or poorly documented languages, the precise semantics of words tend to be uncertain.
- countableuncountableThe meanings of individual words, as opposed to the overall meaning of a passage.
The semantics of the terms used are debatable.
- countableuncountablecomputerThe meaning of computer language constructs, in contrast to their form or syntax.
file sharing and locking semantics
Origin
- Ancient Greekσημαντικός
- Englishsemantics
From French sémantique + English -s, displacing earlier semasiology. The French is a learned borrowing from Ancient Greek σημαντικός (sēmantikós); see semantic. By surface analysis, semantic + -ics or semantic + -s.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans semantiek
- semantiekscience of the meaning of words
Arabic عِلْم اَلْمَعَانِي
- عِلْم اَلْمَعَانِي (ʕilm al-maʕānī)science of the meaning of words
Bulgarian семантика, семантика
- семантика (semantika)study of the relationship between words and their meanings
- семантика (semantika)individual meanings of words
- семантика (semantika)science of the meaning of words
Catalan semàntica
- semànticascience of the meaning of words
Chinese Mandarin 語義學 /语义学
- 語義學 /语义学 (yǔyìxué)science of the meaning of words
Czech sémantika
- sémantikascience of the meaning of words
Danish semantik, betydningslære
- semantikstudy of the relationship between words and their meanings
- betydningslærestudy of the relationship between words and their meanings
- semantikindividual meanings of words
- semantikscience of the meaning of words
Dutch semantiek, betekenisleer
- semantiekscience of the meaning of words
- betekenisleerscience of the meaning of words
Finnish semantiikka, merkitysoppi
- semantiikkastudy of the relationship between words and their meanings
- merkitysoppistudy of the relationship between words and their meanings
- semantiikkaindividual meanings of words
- merkitysindividual meanings of words
- merkityssisältöindividual meanings of words
- semantiikkascience of the meaning of words
- merkitysoppiscience of the meaning of words
French sémantique
- sémantiquescience of the meaning of words
German Bedeutungslehre, Semantik
- Bedeutungslehrescience of the meaning of words
- Semantikscience of the meaning of words
Hebrew תורת המשמעים, סמנטיקה
- תורת המשמעים (torát hamashmaím)study of the relationship between words and their meanings
- סמנטיקה (semántika)study of the relationship between words and their meanings
- משמעות (mashmaút)individual meanings of words
- סמנטיקה (semántika)individual meanings of words
- תורת המשמעים (torát hamashmaím)science of the meaning of words
- סמנטיקה (semántika)science of the meaning of words
Hindi अर्थविज्ञान
- अर्थविज्ञान (arthavijñān)science of the meaning of words
Hungarian szemantika, jelentéstan
- szemantikascience of the meaning of words
- jelentéstanscience of the meaning of words
Icelandic merkingarfræði
- merkingarfræðiscience of the meaning of words
Indonesian semantik
- semantikscience of the meaning of words
Japanese 意味論
- 意味論 (imiron)science of the meaning of words
Korean 의미론
- 의미론 (uimiron)science of the meaning of words
Latvian semantika
- semantikascience of the meaning of words
Norwegian semantikk, semantikk
- semantikkstudy of the relationship between words and their meanings
- semantikkindividual meanings of words
- semantikkscience of the meaning of words
Persian علم معانی, معنیشناسی
- علم معانی ('elm ma'âni)science of the meaning of words
- معنیشناسی (ma'ni-šenâsi)science of the meaning of words
Polish semantyka, semantyka
- semantykastudy of the relationship between words and their meanings
- semantykascience of the meaning of words
Portuguese semântica, semântica
- semânticastudy of the relationship between words and their meanings
- semânticaindividual meanings of words
- semânticascience of the meaning of words
Romanian semantică
- semanticăscience of the meaning of words
Russian сема́нтика, сема́нтика
- сема́нтика (semántika)study of the relationship between words and their meanings
- сема́нтика (semántika)individual meanings of words
- сема́нтика (semántika)science of the meaning of words
Spanish semántica
- semánticascience of the meaning of words
Swahili semantiki, semantiki
- semantikistudy of the relationship between words and their meanings
- semantikiscience of the meaning of words
Swedish semantik, betydelselära
- semantikscience of the meaning of words
- betydelselärascience of the meaning of words
Tagalog semantika, paladiwaan
- semantikascience of the meaning of words
- paladiwaanscience of the meaning of words
Thai อรรถศาสตร์
- อรรถศาสตร์science of the meaning of words
Turkish anlam, anlambilim
- anlamindividual meanings of words
- anlambilimscience of the meaning of words
Vietnamese ngữ nghĩa học, ngữ nghĩa
- ngữ nghĩa họcstudy of the relationship between words and their meanings
- ngữ nghĩaindividual meanings of words
- ngữ nghĩa họcscience of the meaning of words
Cite this entry
APA
semantics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semantics
MLA
“semantics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semantics. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “semantics,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semantics.
Source: semantics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.