Some Definitions of Semantic

1.  Book:             Linguistic Semantics
                           An introduction
     Author:          Ronnie Cann
     Publisher:     © 1993 Cambridge University Press
            In its broadest sense, “semantics” is the study of meaning and “linguistic semantics” is the study of meaning as expressed by the words, phrases and sentences of human languages. In other words, semantics is the study of meaning abstracted away from there aspects that are derived from the intentions of speakers, their psychological states and the socio-cultural aspects of the context in which their utterances are made.

2.  Book:            Semantics
                          Second Edition
     Author:          F.R.Palmer
     Publisher:     © 1976,1981 Cambridge University Press
            Semantics is the technical term used to refer to the study of meaning, and since meaning is a part of language , semantics is a part of linguistics.

3.  Book:            Informal Lectures
                                      On
                          Formal Semantics
     Author:         Emmon Bach
     Publisher:     © 1989 StateUniversity Of New York
            Semantics is the study of the meanings that expression of language can have.

4.  Book:            Semantics
                          Second Edition
     Author:          John I. Saeed
     Publisher:     © 1997,2003 Blackwell Publishing
            Semantics is the study of meaning communicated through language.

5.  Book:            Linguistic Semantics
     Author:          William Frawley
     Publisher:     © 1992 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc.
            Linguistic semantics is the study of literal meanings that are grammaticalized or encoded (i.e. reflected in how the grammar of a language structures its sentences). Defined as such, linguistic semantics is a branch of both semiotics, the study of menaing in general, and semantics, the study of linguistic meaning in particular.