interpersonal (adj.)

A term sometimes used in SEMANTICS as part of a classification of types of MEANING. It refers to those aspects of meaning which relate to the establishing and maintaining of social relations, e.g. social roles, STYLISTIC LEVEL, the expression of personality. Some scholars also subsume EXPRESSIVE meaning under this heading. An alternative view sees the LINGUISTIC expression of social relationships as being a matter of SOCIOLINGUISTIC or PRAGMATIC FUNCTION, and not semantics.