Which term refers to the study of meaning in language?

The term that refers to the study of meaning in language is semantics. This field focuses on understanding how meaning is constructed, represented, and interpreted in various contexts. Semantics encompasses various aspects, including word meanings (lexical semantics), sentence meanings (compositional semantics), and the relationships between words and their meanings.

In contrast, pragmatics deals with how context influences the interpretation of communication, while metalinguistics involves the awareness and analysis of language itself. Syllabication, on the other hand, refers specifically to the division of words into syllables, which is unrelated to the study of meaning. Thus, semantics is the most appropriate choice in this context.