semantic

Sometimes se·man·ti·cal

[si-man-tik]

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.

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

3. 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

• semantically adverb
• nonsemantic adjective
• pseudosemantic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of semantic¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of semantic¹

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

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, characters keep hammering Hank about whether he’s a real killer; the actual definition becomes semantic.

From Los Angeles Times

And while the distinctions between an imperial foreign policy and a hegemonic one may seem semantic or academic, they are crucial when looking at the prospects of peace.

From Salon

Whether or not Israel under Netanyahu practices apartheid or has committed genocide are ideological or semantic questions, largely determined by one’s prior assumptions.

From Salon

This single neuron thus has semantic invariance for the concept of your grandmother.

From Salon

The latter response, Mormann noted, took place in a neuron of the amygdala, which is already known to contain semantic concept cells and to be involved in olfaction.

From Salon

Related Words

• linguistic