Britannica Sources used in this answer

How does semiotics differ from semantics?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Semantics German philosopher of mathematics, logic, and language Gottlob Frege.

While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably due to overlapping usage in literature, they represent distinct areas of study.1

Semantics is defined as the philosophical and scientific study of meaning, specifically focusing on linguistic meaning in both natural and artificial languages. It is considered the doctrine of meaning.1

Semiotics, by contrast, is a broader field concerned with the study of signs and sign-using behavior in general. It functions as a general philosophical theory of signs and symbols, examining how they function across various systems. Semiotics encompasses several subfields, including:123

Syntactics: The study of the formal relations between signs.3
Semantics: The study of the meaning of signs.3
Pragmatics: The study of the relation between signs and their users.3

In essence, while semantics focuses specifically on the interpretation and meaning of language, semiotics provides the overarching framework for understanding how signs—including language, gestures, and symbols—create and convey meaning within society.12