Q0127
“The meaning of a word is its use in the language.” — Ludwig Wittgenstein (Philosophical Investigations §43)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Philosophical Investigations §43. Theme: language.
English
The meaning of a word is its use in the language.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Philosophical Investigations §43 and files it under Analytic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951), born in Vienna to a wealthy industrial family, studied engineering then logic with Russell at Cambridge. The Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921) aimed to draw limits to sense; he then left academic philosophy for years as a teacher and architect’s assistant.
Interpretation
This is the methodological core of the later Wittgenstein. His claim is that meaning is not an object a word stands for but the way the word is employed, so asking for the meaning apart from use is asking the wrong kind of question. The point is directed at his own earlier position, which held that meaning came from logical form. It also dissolves a class of philosophical puzzles that arise only because we assume meaning must be a thing.
Why it matters
It supplies a test for disputes about meaning: instead of asking what a word really means, ask how it is actually being used and whether the uses conflict.
Concepts in this quote
- Language
- Language appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat language as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Meaning
- Meaning appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat meaning as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Ludwig Wittgenstein. (n.d.). The meaning of a word is its use in the language. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0127
MLA: Ludwig Wittgenstein. “The meaning of a word is its use….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0127.
Chicago: Ludwig Wittgenstein. “The meaning of a word is its use….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0127.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The meaning of a word is its use…”?
The passage is attributed to Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations §43. The archive attributes this English wording to Philosophical Investigations §43 and files it under Analytic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Ludwig Wittgenstein mean by language?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Ludwig Wittgenstein and Kwasi Wiredu), language is framed through Analytic Philosophy and Africana Philosophy. Some passages define language; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through language, meaning.