semantic

[ si-man-tik ]
See synonyms for semantic on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of, relating to, or arising from the different meanings of words or other symbols: semantic change; semantic confusion.

  2. of or relating to semantics.

Origin of semantic

1
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
  • Sometimes se·man·ti·cal [si-man-ti-kuhl] /sɪˈmæn tɪ kəl/ .

Other words from semantic

  • se·man·ti·cal·ly, adverb
  • non·se·man·tic, adjective
  • pseu·do·se·man·tic, adjective

Words Nearby semantic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use semantic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for semantic

semantic

/ (sɪˈmæntɪk) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to meaning or arising from distinctions between the meanings of different words or symbols

  2. of or relating to semantics

  1. logic concerned with the interpretation of a formal theory, as when truth tables are given as an account of the sentential connectives

Origin of semantic

1
C19: from Greek sēmantikos having significance, from sēmainein to signify, from sēma a sign

Derived forms of semantic

  • semantically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012