semiotics
noun
se·mi·ot·ics ˌsē-mē-ˈä-tiks 
ˌse-mē-,
ˌsē-ˌmī-
variants or semiotic
ˌsē-mē-ˈä-tik
ˌse-mē-,
ˌsē-ˌmī-
plural semiotics
: a general philosophical theory of signs and symbols that deals especially with their function in both artificially constructed and natural languages and comprises syntactics, semantics, and pragmatics
semiotic adjective
semiotician
ˌsē-mē-ə-ˈti-shən
noun ˌse-mē-
ˌsē-ˌmī-
semioticist
ˌsē-mē-ˈä-tə-sist
noun ˌse-mē-
ˌsē-ˌmī-
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web So that’s one way to talk about it, is just semiotics. 
Michele Filgate, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2022 What began as a pragmatic effort to help people communicate using images became an inward-looking investigation of semiotics. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 27 June 2022 Hal Foster addresses semiotics in a different way through his decoding of sartorial signifiers of gay identity in ‘70s San Francisco. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 30 Apr. 2022 Some of the discourse focussed on the semiotics of a slap versus a punch. Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2022 Laruccia continued to explore his passion for learning by moving back east to teach semiotics and film at Brown University in Rhode Island. San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2022 My master’s degree is in semiotics — the science of signs. Randy Shattuck, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2022 The scene immediately brings to mind AOC’s similar semiotics-savvy dissection of her opponent’s campaign pamphlet in House. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2022 This was distinctly worrisome to anyone steeped in the semiotics of Hollywood. Roger R. Smith, The New York Review of Books, 22 July 2021 See More
Michele Filgate, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2022 What began as a pragmatic effort to help people communicate using images became an inward-looking investigation of semiotics. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 27 June 2022 Hal Foster addresses semiotics in a different way through his decoding of sartorial signifiers of gay identity in ‘70s San Francisco. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 30 Apr. 2022 Some of the discourse focussed on the semiotics of a slap versus a punch. Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2022 Laruccia continued to explore his passion for learning by moving back east to teach semiotics and film at Brown University in Rhode Island. San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2022 My master’s degree is in semiotics — the science of signs. Randy Shattuck, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2022 The scene immediately brings to mind AOC’s similar semiotics-savvy dissection of her opponent’s campaign pamphlet in House. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2022 This was distinctly worrisome to anyone steeped in the semiotics of Hollywood. Roger R. Smith, The New York Review of Books, 22 July 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Greek sēmeiōtikos observant of signs, from sēmeiousthai to interpret signs, from sēmeion sign, from sēma sign
First Known Use
1880, in the meaning defined above