The American philosopher and semiotician Charles S. Peirce defines a sign as "something that stands for something, to somebody, in some respect or capacity." [13]This broad definition recognizes four key ideas that constitute the concept of a sign:
A sign represents something other than itself.
Signs are interpreted.
Meaning results when a sign is interpreted.
Context shapes interpretation.
[13]Charles S. Pierce: Selected Writings, ed. P.O. Wiener (New York: Dover, 1958), p. 37.