Fregean theory of meaning

The Fregean theory of meaning suggests that the meaning of a term or sentence has two parts: its "sense" and its "reference." The sense is the way a term presents its object—like the description or mental image associated with it—while the reference is the actual thing or concept the term denotes in the real world. For example, the term "the morning star" and "the evening star" have different senses but both refer to the planet Venus. Frege's idea helps explain how language conveys precise meaning and how different expressions can relate to the same object differently.