meaning

meaning
Whatever it is that makes what would otherwise be mere sounds and inscriptions into instruments of communication and understanding. The philosophical problem is to demystify this power, and to relate it to what we know of ourselves and the world. Contributions to this study include the theory of speech acts, and the investigation of communication and the relationship between words and ideas, and words and the world. For particular problems see content, ideas, indeterminacy of translation, inscrutability of reference, language, predication, reference , rule following, semantics, translation, and the topics referred to under headings associated with logic. The loss of confidence in determinate meaning (‘every decoding is another encoding’) is an element common both to postmodernist uncertainties in the theory of criticism, and to the analytic tradition that follows writers such as Quine.

Philosophy dictionary. . 2011.

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  • meaning — meaning, meaningful action It would be difficult to imagine any sociological study which did not, implicitly or explicitly, look at how people think about the social world and social relationships in other words at the meanings that the social… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • Meaning — Mean ing, n. 1. That which is meant or intended; intent; purpose; aim; object; as, a mischievous meaning was apparent. [1913 Webster] If there be any good meaning towards you. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. That which is signified, whether by act… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • meaning — [n1] message, signification acceptation, allusion, bearing, bottom line*, connotation, content, context, definition, denotation, drift, effect, essence, explanation, force, gist, heart*, hint, implication, import, interpretation, intimation, meat …   New thesaurus

  • meaning — (n.) sense, import, intent, c.1300, from MEAN (Cf. mean) (v.) …   Etymology dictionary

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  • meaning — noun 1 what sth means ADJECTIVE ▪ clear, exact, precise ▪ The context makes the meaning clear. ▪ What is the exact meaning of this phrase? ▪ intended …   Collocations dictionary

  • Meaning — (Roget s Thesaurus) >Idea to be conveyed. >Thing signified. < N PARAG:Meaning >N GRP: N 1 Sgm: N 1 meaning meaning Sgm: N 1 signification signification significance Sgm: N 1 sense sense expression Sgm: N 1 import import …   English dictionary for students

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