signifieds

Signified is a key concept in semiotics, most famously delineated by Ferdinand de Saussure. In his dyadic model of the linguistic sign, each sign consists of the signifier—the form of a sign, such as a spoken sound or written character—and the signified—the mental concept or content that the signifier evokes in the mind of an interpreter. The signified is not the physical object in the world (the referent) but the idea or meaning associated with the signifier.

Saussure argued that the link between signifier and signified is arbitrary and conventional, established through social use rather than natural necessity. The signified is thus a mental construct that can vary across individuals and cultures and over time. A given signifier may evoke different signifieds in different contexts, and a single concept may be signified by multiple signs. The distinction among signifier, signified, and referent remains central to linguistic analysis, though later semioticians have extended or challenged the dyadic framework. In addition, the signified often carries connotations and implicit associations that extend beyond the core concept, reflecting cultural knowledge and experience.