# semantics

> English word · Noun · IPA /sɪˈmæntɪks/ · frequency rank #17,481

## Definitions
1. A branch of linguistics studying the meaning of words.
2. The study of the relationship between words and their meanings.
3. The meaning or set of meanings of a linguistic element, such as a word, morpheme or utterance.
4. The meaning or set of meanings of a linguistic element, such as a word, morpheme or utterance.
5. The meaning of computer language constructs, in contrast to their form or syntax.
6. Pettiness or triviality.

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

## Easily confused with
- **semantic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/semantic-vs-semantics)

## Common misspellings (14)
`esmantics`, `seamntics`, `semanitcs`, `semanntics`, `semantcis`, `semanticcs`, `semanticss`, `semantisc`, `semanttics`, `sematnics`, `semmantics`, `semnatics`, `smeantics`, `ssemantics`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/semantics