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Rigid designator
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{{Short description|Term with invariant possible designations}} In [[modal logic]] and the [[philosophy of language]], a term is said to be a '''rigid designator''' or '''absolute substantial term''' when it designates (picks out, denotes, refers to) the same thing in ''all [[possible worlds]]'' in which that thing exists.<ref>''Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy'', Revised Second Edition 2008, p. 318</ref><ref>''Saul Kripke'', Arif Ahmed, p. 27</ref> A designator is ''persistently rigid'' if it also designates nothing in all other possible worlds. A designator is ''obstinately rigid'' if it designates the same thing in every possible world, period, whether or not that thing exists in that world. Rigid designators are contrasted with [[Non-rigid designator|''connotative terms'', ''non-rigid'' or ''flaccid designators'']], which may designate different things in different possible worlds.
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