general semantics

American

noun

(used with a singular verb)

a philosophical approach to language, developed by Alfred Korzybski, exploring the relationship between the form of language and its use and attempting to improve the capacity to express ideas.

general semantics British

noun

(functioning as singular) a school of thought, founded by Alfred Korzybski, that stresses the arbitrary nature of language and other symbols and the problems that result from misunderstanding their nature

"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

Etymology

Origin of general semantics

First recorded in 1930–35

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.

O'Reilly coped by seeking out father figures: first George Simon, a practitioner of a New Age philosophy called general semantics, which stresses a kind of introspective observation.

From Inc • May 1, 2010

In English: general semantics aims to teach men to overcome their prejudices in responding to words or appearances.

From Time Magazine Archive

If the whole world adopted general semantics, treating each fact freshly without preconceived notions, Korzybski thinks i would be sane at last.

From Time Magazine Archive

Today, as founder of a whole new system of thought called general semantics,* he has hundreds of followers all-over the world, and the respect of many scientists and scholars.

From Time Magazine Archive

Science and sanity: an introduction to non-Aristotelian systems and general semantics.

From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1976 January - June by Library of Congress. Copyright Office

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023