Here's a breakdown:
* Semantics: The study of meaning in language.
* Ambiguity: When something can be interpreted in more than one way.
When two people use the same word but have different understandings of its meaning, they are experiencing semantic ambiguity. They might *think* they are communicating effectively because they are using the same words, but the meaning is actually different for each person. This can lead to misunderstandings, confusion, and even conflict.
Example:
* Person A: "I think we should take a more *practical* approach."
* Person B: "I agree, we need to be more *practical*."
Person A might mean "focus on what works" while Person B might mean "be more frugal." They're both using the word "practical," but they're actually thinking about different things.