Added 9 October 2026
semantics
/sɪˈmæntɪks/ noun
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about semantics at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A branch of linguistics studying the meaning of words. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
lexical semantics
- The study of the relationship between words and their meanings.
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The 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.
Origin
From French sémantique, displacing earlier semasiology. From Ancient Greek σημαντικός (sēmantikós). By surface analysis, semantic + -ics.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)