Frege's Theory of Meaning

Frege's Theory of Meaning distinguishes between the sense and reference of a term. The "reference" is the actual object or thing a word denotes—like the planet Mars. The "sense" is the way the reference is presented or understood—its context or description, such as "the red planet closest to Earth." This distinction explains how different expressions can refer to the same object but have different meanings, and how understanding involves both recognizing the reference and grasping its sense. This framework helps clarify meaning, especially in complex language and philosophical analysis.