Semantics

Term ,Definition with Example

Agent,The entity that performs the action. Example: She cut her finger.

Experiencer,The entity that perceives or feels something. Example: They could see the boat clearly now.

Theme/Patient,The entity that undergoes an action or is directly affected by it. Example: She cut her finger.

Instrument,The means by which an action is performed. Example: It is treated with acid.

Goal,The endpoint of a movement or transfer. Example: They arrived late at the airport.

Source,The starting point of a movement. Example: She received a letter from Paris.

Beneficiary/Recipient,The entity that benefits from an action or receives something. Example: She gave him a gift.

Possession,The entity being possessed or owned. Example: He owns an eco-tourism company.

Antonyms,Words with opposite meanings. Example: dark - pale

Synonyms,Words with similar meanings. Example: exceptional - extraordinary

Homophones,Words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Example: flour - flower

Homonyms,Words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. Example: a dog’s bark - a tree’s bark

Hyponymy,A hierarchical relationship where one word is a more specific instance of a more general word. Example: winter - season

Polysemy,When a single word has multiple related meanings. Example: bank (the side of a river) - bank (a financial institution)

Meronymy,The relationship of part to whole. Example: wheel - car