semantics
    n 1: the study of language meaning
    2: the meaning of a word, phrase, sentence, or text; "a petty
       argument about semantics"

General semantics \Gen"er*al sem*an"tics\, n. (1933)
   a doctrine and philosophical approach to language and its
   relationship to thought and behavior, developed by Alfred
   Korzybski (1879-1950), which holds that the capacity to
   express ideas and thereby improve one's interaction with
   others and one's environment is enhanced by training in the
   more critical use of words and other symbols; -- sometimes
   also called semantics.

   Note: More information can be found on the web site of the [a
         HREF="http:]/www.general-semantics.org/">Institute of
         General Semantics.
         [PJC]

               General Semantics is the study of the relations
               between language, "thought", and behavior:
               between how we talk, therefore how we think,
               therefore how we act.              --George Doris

Semantics \Sem*an"tics\, n. sing. or pl. [Gr. shmantikos having
   meaning, from sh^ma a sign.]
   1. the study of the meanings of words and of the sense
      development of words; -- formerly called semasiology.
      [PJC]

   2. a doctrine and philosophical approach to language and its
      relationship to thought and behavior, developed by Alfred
      Korzybski (1879-1950), which holds that the capacity to
      express ideas and thereby improve one's interaction with
      others and one's environment is enhanced by training in
      the more critical use of words and other symbols; -- also
      called general semantics.
      [PJC]

   3. the meanings of words as they are used to achieve an
      effect; especially, the multiple meanings of words or the
      multiplicity of words having the same meaning; -- used in
      referring to the confusion that can be caused
      (intentionally or unintentionally) by multiple meanings;
      as, there's no real difference, it's only a matter of
      semantics.
      [PJC]

Semasiology \Se*ma`si*ol"o*gy\, n. [Gr. shmasi`a signification +
   -logy.] (Philol.)
   The science of meanings or sense development (of words); the
   explanation of the development and changes of the meanings of
   words; -- more commonly referred to as semantics. --
   Se*ma`si*o*log"ic*al, a.
   [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

semantics

    The meaning of a string in some language, as opposed
   to syntax which describes how symbols may be combined
   independent of their meaning.

   The semantics of a programming language is a function from
   programs to answers.  A program is a closed term and, in
   practical languages, an answer is a member of the syntactic
   category of values.  The two main kinds are denotational
   semantics and operational semantics.

   (1995-06-21)