View synonyms for

semiotics

[see-mee-ot-iks, sem-ee-, see-mahy-]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

(used with a singular verb)

the study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behavior; the analysis of systems of communication, as language, gestures, or clothing.
a general theory of signs and symbolism, usually divided into the branches of pragmatics, semantics, and syntactics.

semiotics

/ ˌsiːmɪ-, ˌsɛmɪˈɒtɪks /

noun

the study of signs and symbols, esp the relations between written or spoken signs and their referents in the physical world or the world of ideas See also semantics syntactics pragmatics
the scientific study of the symptoms of disease; symptomatology

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Other Word Forms

semiotician noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of semiotics¹

First recorded in 1875–80; semiotic, -ics

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

I’ve spent entire evenings Googling ranch dressing varietals, decoding the semiotics of suburban chain restaurant menus, pondering the subtle thrill of foods that jiggle.

From

For his part, Ouatiki – an Algerian national who at the time was a PhD student in semiotics – said he suffered greatly from speculation in the media that he may have been in on the heist.

From

Roland Barthes was a French literary critic who worked in semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, just as Jung did.

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Marcel Danesi is professor emeritus of linguistic anthropology and semiotics at the University of Toronto.

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“For 30 years, Owens’s creations … have been as much about semiotics as status,” Haramis writes.

From

semiotician semioviparous

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