Single Idea 4001

[catalogued under 19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 6. Meaning as Use]

Full Idea

The meaning of a word contains all its possible uses, true and false, not only its actual ones.

Gist of Idea

The meaning of a word contains all its possible uses as well as its actual ones

Source

Thomas Nagel (What Does It All Mean? [1987], Ch.5)

Book Reference

Nagel,Thomas: 'What Does It All Mean?' [OUP 1987], p.46


A Reaction

It has always seemed to me that meaning is not use, because you can't use it if it hasn't already got a meaning. What use is a meaningless word?