Meanings

Meanings refer to what linguistic expressions convey or stand for within communication. In language study, meaning covers several aspects: the core content of a word (lexical meaning), the way a term is cognitively packaged (sense), and the object or property to which it points (reference). The meaning of a sentence emerges from combining word meanings with syntax and context, and it can include information beyond a statement's literal content (pragmatic meaning).

Lexical meaning is relatively stable across users, but words can be polysemous, with related but distinct senses. Connotation encompasses associations and evaluative overtones that accompany a term. Pragmatic meaning depends on context, speaker intention, and shared assumptions, and can differ between utterances even when their literal content is similar. Figurative meaning, such as metaphors and idioms, relies on conventional associations to convey nonliteral content.

In semiotics, meaning is produced within systems of signs. The classical view by Saussure describes the sign as the union of signifier and signified; meaning arises from the relations among signs in a language or culture. In philosophy of language, theories vary from Fregean sense and reference to truth-conditional semantics and usage-based approaches, each explaining how meaning relates to truth conditions, reference, and use.

Beyond words, meanings are shaped by culture and personal experience. Symbols, rituals, and media carry social meanings that can change over time. People also seek personal meanings in life, formulating significance through relationships, work, and goals.