semantics
noun
se·man·tics si-ˈman-tiks 
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
1
: the study of meanings:
a
: the historical and psychological study and the classification of changes in the signification of words or forms viewed as factors in linguistic development
b(1)
: semiotics
(2)
: a branch of semiotics dealing with the relations between signs and what they refer to and including theories of denotation, extension, naming, and truth
2
: general semantics
3
a
: the meaning or relationship of meanings of a sign or set of signs
especially : connotative meaning
b
: the language used (as in advertising or political propaganda) to achieve a desired effect on an audience especially through the use of words with novel or dual meanings
Example Sentences
More than semantics is at stake. In the case of obesity, the debate has heightened in the wake of major diet-pill recalls last year. Many new diet nostrums are in various stages of testing, and the FDA's bar for approving new drugs is lower for disease treatments than for other problems, such as baldness or skin wrinkles. 
Laura Johannes et al., Wall Street Journal, 9 Feb. 1998 Over the years Wierzbicka has gained a distinct reputation for playing hardball with others in the linguistics community. Though her rhetoric can be rather scathing at times, there is no question that her studies in semantics are a force to be reckoned with. Joseph Hilferty, Word, April 1997
Laura Johannes et al., Wall Street Journal, 9 Feb. 1998 Over the years Wierzbicka has gained a distinct reputation for playing hardball with others in the linguistics community. Though her rhetoric can be rather scathing at times, there is no question that her studies in semantics are a force to be reckoned with. Joseph Hilferty, Word, April 1997 Recent Examples on the Web Whether or not monkeypox is an STI is largely a case of semantics, Harvey and other experts say. Erin Prater, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2022 Though immediately after her announcement Monday, many women, and men, debated whether Serena -- hands down one of the greatest athletes in the world -- was conveniently playing semantics. Roxanne Jones, CNN, 11 Aug. 2022 Fancy semantics aside, the halo draws your eye from the sharp, pointed bow, along the sleek steel hull and down to the large swim platform aft. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 July 2022 And, for better or worse, the semantics still matter. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 21 July 2022 Farming doesn’t even have a universal definition among humans, and the semantics only get messier when the concept is applied to other species. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 11 July 2022 It’s not the DNA of the music or the movement or all the semantics that are below the surface level. Josh Chesler, SPIN, 9 July 2022 Understanding the semantics of business—the way that problems, people and processes work—is key to understanding how best to manage well. Agur Jõgi, Forbes, 22 June 2022 Defaults are murky territory, and Russia's basically arguing over semantics here. Allison Morrow, CNN, 28 June 2022 See More
Erin Prater, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2022 Though immediately after her announcement Monday, many women, and men, debated whether Serena -- hands down one of the greatest athletes in the world -- was conveniently playing semantics. Roxanne Jones, CNN, 11 Aug. 2022 Fancy semantics aside, the halo draws your eye from the sharp, pointed bow, along the sleek steel hull and down to the large swim platform aft. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 July 2022 And, for better or worse, the semantics still matter. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 21 July 2022 Farming doesn’t even have a universal definition among humans, and the semantics only get messier when the concept is applied to other species. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 11 July 2022 It’s not the DNA of the music or the movement or all the semantics that are below the surface level. Josh Chesler, SPIN, 9 July 2022 Understanding the semantics of business—the way that problems, people and processes work—is key to understanding how best to manage well. Agur Jõgi, Forbes, 22 June 2022 Defaults are murky territory, and Russia's basically arguing over semantics here. Allison Morrow, CNN, 28 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
see semantic
First Known Use
1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing semantics
Medical Definition
semantics
noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction
se·man·tics si-ˈmant-iks
: the study of meanings:
a
: the historical and psychological study and the classification of changes in the signification of words or forms viewed as factors in linguistic development
b(1)
: semiotic
(2)
: a branch of semiotic dealing with the relations between signs and what they refer to and including theories of denotation, extension, naming, and truth