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The study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behavior; the analysis of systems of communication, as language, gestures, or clothing, notably developed by Charles Sanders Peirce and Ferdinand de Saussure.

The idea that individuals are born without built-in mental content and all knowledge comes from experience or perception, historically associated with figures such as John Locke.

The theory concerning how we perform actions via utterances, closely associated with J.L. Austin and further developed by John Searle.

The theory that the structure of a language influences its speakers' world view or cognition, associated with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf.

A theory of how expressions relate to the world, mainly associated with philosophers Saul Kripke and Gottlob Frege.

The view that the meaning of words and sentences can be affected by factors external to the speaker, prominently defended by Hilary Putnam and Tyler Burge.

A concept introduced by J.L. Austin to describe utterances that do not just convey information, but are themselves actions, such as 'I apologize' or 'I promise'.

The theory that the meaning of a sentence is partly determined by the entire language to which it belongs, associated with thinkers like Willard Van Orman Quine and Donald Davidson.

A feature of natural language that relates utterances to the context in which they are said, like 'this,' 'that,' 'here,' and 'now', with important contributions from Levinson and Fillmore.

The speaker's intention in delivering an utterance, integral to John Searle's development of Speech Act Theory.

An utterance that communicates something beyond its direct meaning, its actual intent is often understood through context or shared social norms; a concept developed by Searle.

A position in the philosophy of language which holds that all or most names or classifications are merely descriptions, associated with philosophers like Bertrand Russell.

A framework for understanding meaning in modal logic through the concept of possible worlds, mostly developed by philosophers like Saul Kripke and David Lewis.

The four conversational imperatives that guide the cooperative principle in communication, formulated by H.P. Grice.

The belief that certain usages of language are incorrect or 'improper,' and that one should adhere to prescribed rules, associated with traditionalists and some language academies.

A subfield focused on the ways in which context contributes to meaning, with philosophers such as Paul Grice contributing significantly.

The study of how sounds are organized and used in natural languages, an essential component of linguistics, with significant contributions from Noam Chomsky.

A term introduced by Bertrand Russell to refer to expressions that denote precisely one object; for example, 'The current president of the United States'.

Terms that describe two ways of signifying the meaning of words, where intension is the set of properties that the word conveys, and extension is the actual set of things it refers to, discussed by philosophers such as Frege and Carnap.