Meaning Theories

Although in some ways the question of meaning is as old as symbol use, formalized inquiry into meaning is a far more recent development in human history. Initial investigations into the nature of meaning appear in the writings of the ancient Greeks, but it was not until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that interest in this subject led to the development of multiple (and competing) theories of meaning. The sudden proliferation of such theories reflects the increased importance placed upon language and communication during this time period by scholars across a variety of disciplines. Furthermore, these meaning theories, and the controversies generated by them, played a central role in the development of the discipline of communication.

Members of contemporary Western cultures typically hold some version of correspondence theory—the idea that symbols and language correspond to actual features of reality. However, one of the overarching characteristics of 20th and 21st century communication theory is the rejection of this commonsense account of the nature of language and meaning. By critically examining the assumptions of the correspondence theory of meaning, communication scholars have focused attention on the complex interaction between the central elements involved in any attribution of meaning: the persons engaged in interaction, their use of symbols, and the context surrounding and indicated by their interaction. To clarify the difference between correspondence theory and more communication-oriented meaning theories, this entry will cover three topics: (1) the relationship between medium and the question of meaning, (2) the rise and central assumptions of correspondence theory, and (3) three influential meaning theories that have contributed to the growth of communication scholarship in a variety of subdisciplines.