reference and sense

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

Gottlob Frege's distinction between the object a linguistic expression picks out in the world (Bedeutung, reference or denotation) and the mode of presentation or cognitive meaning by which it does so (Sinn, sense); illustrated by 'the morning star' and 'the evening star,' which share a reference (Venus) but differ in sense; the distinction launched analytic philosophy's engagement with meaning and remains foundational in semantics