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Our ability to find meaning in things is one of the most important aspects of human life. But it is also one of the most mysterious. Where does meaning come from? What sorts of things have meaning? And how do we grasp the meaning others want to convey? This Very Short Introduction is shaped by exploring possible answers to these questions.

Human societies have one particularly important device for expressing and sharing meaning: language. Since our words are paradigm examples of things which have meaning, in this book, Emma Borg and Sarah Fisher use meaning in language as a case study for exploring meaning more generally. They focus on three possible sources for word meaning: things in the world, things in the mind, and social practices, exploring the key approaches thinkers have put forward in each of these arenas. Finally, they end by looking at some concrete applications of the ideas and approaches introduced in the book.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Emma Borg is Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy, London. Previously she was at the University of Reading (where she had been Director of the Reading Centre for Cognition Research and Head of Department). Her research deals with the relationship between meaning and context, and the nature of communication and reasoning. She has held two major Leverhulme awards and served as the White Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Philosophy, University of Chicago. Emma also works in business ethics and serves as an Independent Advisor to the Professional Standards Committee of His Majesty's Revenue and Customs.


Sarah A. Fisher is a Lecturer at Cardiff University. Her work investigates how subtle differences in language affect our judgements and behaviour-and what this implies for the nature of meaning, communication, and thought. She has published articles in a range of philosophical and interdisciplinary academic journals.