The study and representation of meaning in language. Lexical interpretation and sentence interpretation require interacting information; a contrast with a syntactic task need not isolate every semantic process.
Formal semantics describes linguistic meaning with explicit mathematical representations and rules for combining them. A truth condition states when a declarative expression is true in a model; compositional semantics explains how meanings depend on both the parts and their arrangement. A syntactic category alone need not determine the semantic operation.[ref]
Essentials of Linguistics (2nd edition) by Catherine Anderson and others. §7.2, compositionality and structure; §7.11, denotation and truth conditions
In a toy model, let denote the boxes and the red objects. “Every box is red” is true exactly when , which fails here. “Some box is red” is true when , which holds. The difference comes from the quantifier's rule, not a change in the noun's denotation. Such finite examples make competing semantic proposals testable while leaving conversational interpretation to additional assumptions about context and pragmatics.
Compositional semantics explains a complex expression's meaning through the meanings of its parts and the way syntax combines them. It requires a rule of combination, not merely a list of word meanings. This helps explain how a speaker can understand unfamiliar combinations of familiar material.[ref]
In an original toy model, let the red objects be and round objects . Treating
red and round as an intersection gives . Replacing and with or calls for a different combination, giving . This stipulated analysis makes the connective's contribution explicit. Natural expressions require more care: not every adjective combines with a noun by intersection. A proposed formal semantics must specify its rules and check their predictions against interpretations.A truth condition specifies what must hold for a declarative expression to be true under an interpretation and context. It is distinct from the expression's actual truth value: someone can understand what would make a statement true without knowing whether those circumstances obtain.[ref]
Essentials of Linguistics (2nd edition) by Catherine Anderson and others. §7.11, The denotation of sentences and If and only if
For a toy example, interpret
Every marked tile is blue using a set of marked tiles and a set of blue tiles. Its truth condition is . If and , it is false; changing to makes it true. The rule remains fixed while the model changes. Truth conditions allow formal semantics to separate an interpretation from the evidence used to assess a particular situation, although pragmatics can contribute further conversational meaning.A relation based on meaning among concepts or expressions. Semantic-association judgments must be distinguished from perceptual similarity and response-selection demands.
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Semantics is the study of meaning in language, focusing on how words, phrases, sentences, and texts convey meaning. It involves the interpretation of linguistic expressions and explores the relationships between signifiers—like words and phrases—and what they refer to or signify in real-world contexts. Semantics plays a critical role in various fields, including linguistics, philosophy, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science, as it helps to understand how language is used to communicate ideas, emotions, and information.