significus

Significus is a neologism used in some semiotic and linguistic analyses to denote the interpretive meaning that a viewer or reader constructs from a sign. It is conceived as the cognitive content that emerges in response to a signifier, and it is distinct from the physical sign and from conventional signification (the signified or the sign's reference). In this sense, significus emphasizes the active role of the interpreter in shaping meaning.

Etymology: The term combines Latin roots signum "sign" and facere "to make" with the suffix -us, and is not part of traditional semiotics. It has appeared in late 20th- and early 21st-century theoretical discussions as a way to name the interpretive product rather than the sign-carrier.

Applications: In analyses of literature, advertising, and visual media, significus is used to discuss how context, culture, and prior knowledge influence the perceived sense of a sign. It aligns with notions such as the interpretant in Peircean theory or the reader-response emphasis in literary theory, while remaining distinct as the observer-generated content.

Reception and criticism: While appealing for its specificity, significus is not universally adopted. Critics argue that it risks duplicating existing concepts like interpretant, effect, or mental model, and that the term's ambiguity can hinder cross-disciplinary communication.

Related concepts include signifier, signified, interpretant, and mental model, which provide alternative vocabularies for discussing how signs produce meaning.