empty signifier

American  

[emp-tee sig-nuh-fahy-er] / ˈɛmp ti ˈsɪg nəˌfaɪ ər /

noun

Semiotics.

1. a word or phrase used in such a way that it does not have a fixed, specific meaning, allowing it to refer to different, often contradictory things depending on who is using it and in what context.

   The term “freedom” can be an empty signifier in politics, with different groups using it as justification for opposing goals.

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Etymology

Origin of empty signifier

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

These “vibes” lead to lots of sloppy thinking and writing; In many ways these “vibes” are an empty signifier that can mean whatever a given person wants them to.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2024

Structural racism is a very important concept, but it is now becoming an empty signifier.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2021

Philosopher Slavoj Zizek has written about this — specifically, on how Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” has repeatedly served as an empty signifier, “a symbol that can stand for anything.”

From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2016

Diversity ‘‘is an empty signifier for me now,’’ says Jeff Chang, the author of 2014’s ‘‘Who We Be: The Colorization of America,’’ though ‘‘I still strongly believe in the possibility.’’

From New York Times • Oct. 27, 2015

Here, though, much like the Louis Vuitton bag that the killer hauls around and the Cadillac he drives, Picasso is an empty signifier, suggestive of nothing beyond weird product placement and bankrupt thinking.

From New York Times • Oct. 18, 2012