empty signifier
A signifier—that is, a linguistic sign, a label or slogan—with no fixed and delimited…A signifier—that is, a linguistic sign, a label or slogan—with no fixed and delimited meaning, which can therefore be interpreted in many ways and represent a range of different beliefs and aspirations.
Meaning
1 sensesA signifier—that is, a linguistic sign, a label or slogan—with no fixed and delimited meaning, which can therefore be interpreted in many ways and represent a range of different beliefs and aspirations.
Origin
First attested in the 1970s, apparently originally a calque of French signifiant vide as uFirst attested in the 1970s, apparently originally a calque of French signifiant vide as used by Jacques Derrida among others (though not by Lacan as sometimes supposed; compare the Lacanian term master signifier). Subsequently popularised in the work of Ernesto Laclau in the 1990s.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: empty signifiers| Singular | empty signifier |
|---|---|
| Plural | empty signifiers |
regular