1. the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation
Usage: academic; linguistics

Examples

• She studied semiotics to understand how advertising uses symbols to influence consumers.
• The professor explained how semiotics analyzes everything from road signs to cultural rituals.
• Semiotics examines the relationship between signs and their meanings in communication.
• His research in semiotics focused on how colors convey different messages across cultures.
• The semiotics of fashion reveals how clothing choices communicate social status.
• Students of semiotics learn to decode the hidden meanings in visual media.