semiotics

American  

[see-mee-ot-iks, sem-ee-, see-mahy-] / ˌsi miˈɒt ɪks, ˌsɛm i-, ˌsi maɪ- /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behavior; the analysis of systems of communication, as language, gestures, or clothing.

2. a general theory of signs and symbolism, usually divided into the branches of pragmatics, semantics, and syntactics.

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semiotics British  

/ ˌsiːmɪ-, ˌsɛmɪˈɒtɪks /

noun

1. the study of signs and symbols, esp the relations between written or spoken signs and their referents in the physical world or the world of ideas See also semantics syntactics pragmatics

2. the scientific study of the symptoms of disease; symptomatology

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Other Word Forms

• semiotician noun

Etymology

Origin of semiotics

First recorded in 1875–80; semiotic, -ics

Explanation

In philosophy and linguistics, semiotics is the branch of study concerned with the meanings and functions of signs and symbols. Have you ever thought about traffic lights? How did we decide red means "stop," green means "go," and yellow means "slow down" (even if most people speed up)? Traffic lights are symbolic, and the study of symbols is semiotics. Just don't get absorbed with semiotics when there are cars behind you at a traffic light!

Example Sentences

I always think about what the semiotics of a project are when I take it.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2025

I’ve spent entire evenings Googling ranch dressing varietals, decoding the semiotics of suburban chain restaurant menus, pondering the subtle thrill of foods that jiggle.

From Salon • May 26, 2025

Roland Barthes was a French literary critic who worked in semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, just as Jung did.

From Salon • Nov. 29, 2024

In tone and semiotics, “Jerry & Marge” evokes conventional sitcoms.

From New York Times • Jun. 16, 2022

A degree in semiotics was not required to see that I was in the presence of an ironist.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann