Position
Meaning as Use
For a large class of expressions, meaning is their use in the language.
Classification
- Position level
- specific
- Domains
- Philosophy of Language
Overview
On this view, the role an expression plays in linguistic practice grounds its meaning. Attending to ordinary use can also expose philosophical puzzles that arise when words are detached from those practices.
Position on
Held by traditions
- Ordinary Language Philosophy
Question scope: The Grounds of Linguistic Meaning
References
- Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations (1953), §43
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Theories of Meaning