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Semantics

Definition

Semantics is the branch of linguistics that deals with the meanings of words and sentences.

Analogy

Think of semantics as a dictionary. Just like how you look up a word in a dictionary to understand its meaning, semantics helps us understand the meaning behind words and sentences in language.

Related terms

Syntax: Syntax refers to the rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences in a given language.

Pragmatics: Pragmatics is concerned with the use of language in social contexts and the ways people produce and comprehend meanings through language.

Morphemes: Morphemes are the smallest meaningful units of language. They can be whole words (like "a" or "run") or parts of words (like "-ed" which indicates past tense).



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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.