meaning of a word; word sense
Refers to the definition or semantic content of a specific word, often used in linguistic or dictionary contexts.
この辞書は語義の説明が詳しい。
This dictionary gives detailed explanations of word meanings.
語義の変遷
I research the changes in word meanings over time.
Compound of 語 (go, 'word') and 義 (gi, 'meaning, righteousness'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys 'word meaning'.