noun

1. the branch of linguistics concerned with the nature, the structure, and the development and changes of the meanings of speech forms, or with contextual meaning
2. 1. semiotics
   2. the branch of semiotics dealing with relationships of signs and symbols to the things to which they refer, or with referential meaning
3. the relationships between signs and symbols and the concepts, feelings, etc. associated with them in the minds of their interpreters; notional meaning
4. loosely deliberate distortion or twisting of meaning, as in some types of advertising, propaganda, etc.

Etymology: < semantic, based on Fr sémantique