semantic

adjective

se·​man·​tic si-ˈman-tik 

variants or less commonly semantical

si-ˈman-ti-kəl 

1

: of or relating to meaning in language

2

: of or relating to semantics

semantically

si-ˈman-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of semantic in a Sentence

the process of semantic development

Recent Examples on the Web

Detailing processes like semantic search, Huang showcase the types of agentic possibilities that are going to springboard both horizontal and vertical AI applications. —John Werner, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

The result will embed each word’s semantic associations, and its relationship to other words, into a unique string of numbers. —John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 18 Sep. 2024

The Cowboys won’t be playing the semantic game of treating Parsons as a space linebacker, which would drive down his value. —Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024

The researchers develop a measure to determine the improvement in accuracy a user would experience thanks to their semantic entropy filter. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 20 June 2024

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 *d^hi̯eh₂-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

Kids Definition

semantic

adjective

se·​man·​tic si-ˈmant-ik 

1

: of or relating to meaning in language

2

: of or relating to semantics

semantically

-ˈmant-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb