M3: Semantics page 35-36

So what is semantics?
Semantics is the study of meaning making in language.

Semantics can be more than words... semiotics is the meaning of signs and symbols.

Here is a video that gives you an overview of semantics.  It also talks a little bit about pragmatics.  We will go over pragmatics as a linguistic category more in detail in a little bit.

Semantics can relate to the meaning of words in a straightforward way, but it can also pertain to the nuances of word meaning and different perspectives about words, too.  

One part of studying semantics is understanding the many meanings of individual words. Once you have a handle on the words themselves, context comes into play. The same word can be said to two people and they can interpret them differently.

For example, imagine A told B, "I care for you… a lot." Wouldn't that make B's heart melt? Sure, if person A just said that out of the blue, walking down the beach one day. But, what if B had just told A, "I love you," and, after a long pause, all A said was, "I care for you… a lot." B would be crushed. So, context (the current situation) will always play a role in everyday semantics.