semantic
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or arising from the different meanings of words or other symbols.
semantic change; semantic confusion.
-
of or relating to semantics.
adjective
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of or relating to meaning or arising from distinctions between the meanings of different words or symbols
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of or relating to semantics
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logic concerned with the interpretation of a formal theory, as when truth tables are given as an account of the sentential connectives
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of semantic
First recorded in 1655–65; from Greek sēmantikós “having meaning,” equivalent to sēmant(ós) “marked” ( sēman-, base of sēmaínein “to show, mark” + -tos verbal adjective suffix; akin to sêma “sign”) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
If something is semantic, it has to do with the meaning of a word. If you're spending all this time reading the dictionary, you must be interested in semantic questions — or you just want better grades on your vocabulary quizzes. Semantic comes from the Greek word for "significant," and has to do with how, say, the word dog actually means that furry friend of yours, and all the others like him. If you're really into the philosophy of language and how words come to have particular meanings, then you like semantics. It can be an adjective, as in a semantic argument with your mom over the meaning of "grounded," or a noun, meaning "the study of signs and meaning."
Vocabulary lists containing semantic
"Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan
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Eats, Shoots & Leaves
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Sapiens
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ms. Simpson explores the similarities between the power struggles of romantic relationships and the semantic tug of war between writers and their translators—and the role of fidelity in both situations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
There’s people who want me to be mad because of the semantic drift.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
The legal and semantic problem is that the balance of payments and trade balance aren’t the same, as judges Mark Barnett and Claire Kelly explain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
In November, it refocused Chase’s division from “retail” to “lifestyle” — a semantic change that reflects a shifting focus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
We are, all four of us, blood relatives, and we speak a kind of esoteric, family language, a sort of semantic geometry in which the shortest distance between any two points is a fullish circle.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
