How can a term be divided according to signification?

• A. Singular, plural, proper
• B. Universal, particular, singular
• C. Simple, compound, complex
• D. Univocal, equivocal, analogous

Answer: (D)

Signification can be viewed as how a term conveys meaning across its uses. A term can be univocal, equivocal, or analogical in this sense.

A univocal term keeps exactly the same sense in all its occurrences, so it refers to the same concept everywhere. For example, when we say “dog” in “Dogs bark” and “That animal is a dog,” the word is used with the same meaning.

An equivocal term has two or more senses that are entirely different, with no common ground in meaning. “Bank” as a riverbank and as a financial institution illustrates this: the form is the same, but the senses do not overlap.

An analogical term extends a meaning in related ways, preserving a likeness of sense rather than identical meaning. For instance, “healthy” can describe a person’s condition and the quality of food or habits in related, life-supporting ways—sharing a common notion of wellness, but applied in different domains.

This is why the division by signification is named univocal, equivocal, and analogous. The other groupings involve quantity, scope, or structure of a term rather than how its meaning is applied across contexts.