From French sémantique, displacing earlier semasiology. From Ancient Greek σημαντικός (sēmantikós). By surface analysis, semantic +‎ -ics.

• IPA^(key): /sɪˈmæntɪks/

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semantics (countable and uncountable, plural semantics)

1. (linguistics) A branch of linguistics studying the meaning of words. [1893]

   Holonym: linguistics

   Meronyms: semasiology, onomasiology

   Comeronyms: pragmatics, phonology, morphology, grammar

   lexical semantics;   cognitive semantics;   computational semantics;   historical semantics

   Semantics is a foundation of lexicography.

2. The study of the relationship between words and their meanings.
   • 2006, Patrick Blackburn, Johan Bos, Kristina Striegnitz, Learn Prolog Now!‎^[1], archived from the original on 28 March 2015, section 8.1:

     In fact, nowadays a lot is known about the semantics of natural languages, and it is surprisingly easy to build semantic representations which partially capture the meaning of sentences or even entire discourses.

3. The meaning or set of meanings of a linguistic element, such as a word, morpheme or utterance.

   In very ancient or poorly documented languages, the precise semantics of words tend to be uncertain.

   1. The meanings of individual words, as opposed to the overall meaning of a passage.

      The semantics of the terms used are debatable.

4. (computer science) The meaning of computer language constructs, in contrast to their form or syntax.

   file sharing and locking semantics

5. (loosely, colloquial, of a detail or distinction) Pettiness or triviality.

   Who cares? This is all just semantics!

• Appendix:Glossary of semantics

• “semantics”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• amnestics