semantic

adjective

se·​man·​tic si-ˈman-tik How to pronounce semantic (audio)
variants or less commonly semantical
si-ˈman-ti-kəl How to pronounce semantic (audio)
1
: of or relating to meaning in language
2
: of or relating to semantics
semantically
si-ˈman-ti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce semantic (audio)
adverb

Examples of semantic in a Sentence

the process of semantic development
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The universal semantic layer also provides data modeling, access controls and caching, removing much of the heavy lifting from data teams. —Artyom Keydunov, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Still, as a proxy for semantic meaning, embeddings have proved surprisingly effective. —John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 18 Sep. 2024 Clear language, Orwell suggests, is a semantic necessity as well as a moral one. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024 For instance, my company uses and supports clients with tools that enable enterprise-grade ingestion and semantic modeling, like Microsoft Power BI and Microsoft Fabric. —Robbie Morrison, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for semantic 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek sēmantikós "(of sounds) conveying meaning, significant, (of a circumstance) indicative," from sēmantós, verbal adjective of sēmaínein "to indicate, point out, signify, make a signal, give a sign, (in middle voice) mark, identify" (verbal derivative from the base of sēmat-, sêma "distinguishing mark, sign, token, signal, omen, tomb" and sēmeîon "marking, sign, token, signal") + -ikos -ic entry 1; sēm- in sêma and sēmeîon of uncertain origin

Note: The base sēm-, Doric sām- has been compared with Sanskrit dhyāma "thought" (attested only in lexica) and dhyā́yati "s/he thinks, contemplates." Greek sêma would then be the outcome of Indo-European *dhi̯eh2-mn̥-. The meanings "sign" and "thought" are too far apart, however, to support such an etymology. The derivative sēmeîon is peculiar in that -mat- is a suffix and would not ordinarily be split apart in order to add another suffix. A comparable formation is mnêma "reminder, record, memorial" and the near-synonymous mnēmeîon, though in this case the ulterior etymology is clear.

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of semantic was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near semantic

semanteme

semantic

semantic conception

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Semantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semantic. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

semantic

adjective
se·​man·​tic si-ˈmant-ik How to pronounce semantic (audio)
1
: of or relating to meaning in language
2
: of or relating to semantics
semantically
-ˈmant-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce semantic (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on semantic

Nglish: Translation of semantic for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of semantic for Arabic Speakers

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