Begripsgebruik

Begripsgebruik is a Dutch term that refers to the use of concepts in language, reasoning, and communication. It encompasses how terms are applied in practice, how the scope of a concept is determined, and how context influences interpretation. Unlike a fixed set of definitions, begripsgebruik emphasizes the practical deployment of concepts in ordinary speech and scientific discourse.

In philosophy of language and semantics, begripsgebruik is used to analyze how speakers decide whether a term applies to a given case, how the boundaries of a concept may shift, and how context, presupposition, and implicature affect understanding. It highlights that meaning often depends on usage patterns within a community of speakers rather than on intrinsic essences.

In cognitive science and artificial intelligence, begripsgebruik informs how concepts are represented, learned, and applied. Categories may be organized around prototypes, family resemblance, or contextual cues, illustrating that categorization is flexible and socially embedded.

Begripsgebruik also intersects with terminology and definition theory: communities agree on which distinctions are important and how to phrase definitions to support use in practice. Understanding begripsgebruik helps explain linguistic variation, conceptual change, and the design of user-facing terminology in science and technology.

See also: concept, definition, semantics, pragmatics, conceptual analysis, terminology.