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The form which the sign takes; not necessarily a word. Example: The sound of a siren signifier that emergency services are approaching.

A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa. Example: Referring to workers as 'hands' to signify their labor.

A sign where the relationship between signifier and signified is purely conventional and culturally specific. Example: An eagle symbolizes freedom in American culture.

The concept that a signifier refers to. Example: The concept 'danger' is signified by the signifier 'skull and crossbones'.

In semiotics, the notion that there is no natural connection between the signified and the signifier. Example: There is no 'natural' reason why the word 'dog' signifies the animal; it is arbitrary.

A figure of speech in which a thing is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it. Example: 'The White House declared' instead of 'The US President declared'.

The shaping of a text's meaning by other texts. Example: A film referencing a famous painting to convey a particular feeling or idea.

A condition in which what is real and what is fiction are seamlessly blended together so there is no clear distinction between where one starts and the other ends. Example: Reality TV shows that mix real events with staged scenarios.

The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. Example: Analyzing the cultural meaning of a red rose in advertisements.

A sign that resembles or imitates the signified in some properties. Example: A portrait is an icon because it visually resembles the person it represents.

In semiotics, a myth is a cultural narrative that frames the way members of a society interpret reality. Example: The 'American Dream' is a mythic narrative about success and prosperity.

Anything that communicates a meaning, beyond its literal existence. Example: A traffic light is a sign indicating when to stop or go.

The phenomenon that a sign can have multiple meanings. Example: The word 'bat' can refer to an animal, a sports equipment, or a verb meaning to flicker.

The ideas or feelings that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning. Example: 'Rose' connotes love and romance.

A system of signs and rules used to transmit messages. Example: Morse code transmits text through series of dots and dashes.

An interdisciplinary field that examines the role of media and popular culture in shaping societies. Example: Studying the influence of television on viewers' perceptions of reality.

The literal or primary meaning of a sign, without considering wider or more abstract meanings. Example: The word 'rose' denotes a particular type of flower.

The process by which a receiver interprets and gives meaning to a message. Example: Viewers decode the symbolism in a film to understand its themes.

A sign where the signifier is directly connected in some way to the signified. Example: Smoke is an index of fire.

The process by which a sender incorporates signs and codes into a message. Example: Advertisers encode messages in commercials to convey product benefits.

In semiotics, the set of all signs that can be substituted for each other without changing the structure of the message. Example: Different genres of music within a radio program are part of the same paradigm.

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. Example: Describing media 'consumption' as if media were food.

The horizontal combination of signs to create meaning in a sequence. Example: The arrangement of words in a sentence to convey a message.

A theoretical framework which studies media environments and the effects of technology on human culture. Example: Analyzing how smartphones have changed communication practices.