Semantiskt

Semantiskt is a Swedish adjective meaning related to meaning, especially in language, signs, or symbols. In English-language scholarship the corresponding term is semantic, but semantiskt is used in Swedish discourse to describe aspects of meaning in linguistics, philosophy, and information technology.

In linguistics and philosophy, semantiskt concerns sense, reference, truth-conditions, and the relationships between words and their meanings. It distinguishes from syntaktiskt (syntactic) concerns, which govern sentence structure. Topics include semantic relations (synonymy, antonymy, meronymy), polysemy, vagueness, and semantic change over time.

In computer science and information science, semantiskt knowledge representation underpins technologies such as the Semantic Web, ontologies, and knowledge graphs. Semantiska teknologier enable machines to interpret data beyond syntax, supporting tasks in natural language understanding, data integration, and reasoning. Common standards include RDF, OWL, and SKOS.

Etymology: The term derives from Greek semantikos through Latin and into Swedish semantik; the adjective form semantiskt follows Swedish grammar.

See also: Semantics; Semantic web; Ontology; Natural language processing.