Words usually have meanings we don't think twice about. Then 1998 happened. If you were around for the late nineties, you remember the chaos of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, but even if you weren't, you've likely heard the punchline. It’s one of the most famous—or infamous—linguistic pivots in American history. When Bill Clinton sat down for his grand jury testimony, he uttered a sentence that would launch a thousand law school debates and late-night comedy sketches.
"It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."
It sounds like a joke. It sounds like someone trying to escape a speeding ticket by arguing about the physics of motion. But in the high-stakes environment of a federal investigation, that specific phrasing wasn't just a slip of the tongue; it was a calculated, albeit desperate, legal maneuver. Understanding the definition of is is requires looking at the intersection of English grammar, tense, and the brutal reality of perjury traps.
The Moment Language Broke Down
Let's set the scene. On August 17, 1998, President Bill Clinton became the first sitting president to testify before a grand jury as the subject of an investigation. Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr was breathing down his neck. The specific line of questioning that led to the "is is" comment focused on a previous deposition Clinton had given in the Paula Jones case. In that earlier testimony, Clinton’s lawyer, Robert Bennett, had stated that there "is" no relationship between Clinton and Lewinsky.
When prosecutors asked Clinton if that statement was false, he didn't just say yes or no. He went for the microscopic. He argued that at the exact moment Bennett spoke, the relationship was in the past. Therefore, saying "there is no relationship" was technically, grammatically true in the present tense.
He was playing with time.
Most people see this as the pinnacle of "lawyering." It’s that slippery, evasive quality that makes people distrust politicians. But if you look at it through the lens of formal semantics, Clinton was actually touching on a real linguistic concept: the difference between a "statue" (a state of being) and an "event" (something that happened). To Clinton, "is" referred to the immediate, flickering present. To the rest of the world, "is" covered the reality of the situation regardless of the clock.
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Why the Definition of Is Is Became a Cultural Phenomenon
The public reaction was immediate and overwhelmingly negative. It felt like gaslighting on a national scale. You had the leader of the free world arguing over the most basic verb in the English language to avoid admitting to an affair.
The media went wild.
- Saturday Night Live turned it into a recurring bit about the absurdity of political spin.
- Newspapers ran op-eds from linguists and grammarians debating if Clinton actually had a point.
- Legal scholars used it as a case study in how not to handle a deposition if you want to keep the public on your side.
The "is is" moment became shorthand for political dishonesty. It wasn't just about the affair anymore; it was about the manipulation of truth itself. When you redefine the most fundamental words to fit your narrative, you aren't just defending yourself—you're attacking the shared reality of the audience.
The Linguistic Nut Behind the Evasion
Actually, if we’re being honest, English is kind of a mess. Linguists like Steven Pinker have often pointed out that our language relies heavily on context that isn't always explicitly stated.
In a formal logic setting, the verb "to be" can function as an identity ($A = B$) or as a predicate (The sky is blue). Clinton was trying to force a hyper-literal identity interpretation on a phrase that everyone else understood as a general status report.
Think about it this way: if I ask you, "Is your car working?" and it broke down ten minutes ago, you say "No." You don't say, "Well, it depends on what the meaning of 'is' is, because it was working for most of the morning." That would be insane behavior. But in a courtroom, where every syllable is a potential felony count of perjury, the "insane" becomes the "strategy."
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Legal Consequences and the Perjury Trap
The reason the definition of is is matters beyond just being a meme is that it highlights the difficulty of prosecuting perjury. To prove perjury, you have to prove that the speaker intended to deceive. By creating a convoluted linguistic defense, Clinton provided himself with "reasonable doubt." He could claim he wasn't lying; he was just being more precise than the questioner.
The Office of the Independent Counsel wasn't amused. Their report, which eventually led to Clinton's impeachment by the House of Representatives, cited his "evasive and misleading" testimony as a primary concern. Even though he was eventually acquitted by the Senate, the "is is" defense remained a permanent stain on his legacy. It became a cautionary tale for every lawyer since: just because you can argue the meaning of a word doesn't mean you should.
The Legacy of Wordplay in Modern Politics
We see echoes of this today. We live in an era of "alternative facts" and "misinformation," but Clinton was really the pioneer of the high-profile semantic dodge. The definition of is is paved the way for a style of political communication where the goal isn't to clarify, but to create enough linguistic fog that the truth becomes a matter of opinion.
It’s about the "technical truth."
You've probably seen this in corporate PR statements too. Companies will say they "have no plans" to do something, which sounds like a promise, but in their minds, it just means they haven't signed the paperwork today. It’s the same "is is" energy. It’s a way of being honest while being completely deceptive.
How to Handle Sensitive Definitions in Your Own Life
While you probably aren't testifying before a grand jury (hopefully), the "is is" debacle offers some pretty solid life lessons. Communication is about more than just the dictionary definitions of the words you use. It's about the "Gricean Maxims"—the unspoken rules of conversation that say we should be as informative and clear as possible.
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When you break those rules to be "technically correct," you lose trust.
- Be wary of over-precision. If someone starts defining basic words during a simple conversation, they are likely hiding something.
- Context is king. Words don't exist in a vacuum. The meaning of a sentence is determined by the situation, not just the grammar.
- Transparency over technicality. In business and personal relationships, being "technically right" while being misleading is often worse than just being wrong.
Actionable Takeaways from the Is Is Debacle
If you find yourself in a situation where you're tempted to parse words like a 1990s politician, stop. It rarely ends well. Instead, focus on these steps to ensure your communication actually lands the way you want it to.
First, check your intent. Ask yourself if you’re trying to clarify a point or obscure a reality. If you find yourself looking for a "loophole" in a sentence, you’ve already crossed the line into deceptive territory.
Second, consider the "Reasonable Person" standard. How would a person with no skin in the game interpret your words? If their interpretation differs wildly from your "technical" one, you are the one who is failing to communicate.
Third, acknowledge the past. If you're talking about a situation that has changed, use the appropriate tenses. Don't try to hide behind the present tense to avoid owning a past action. It didn't work for a President, and it probably won't work for you in a performance review or a relationship argument.
The definition of is is serves as a permanent reminder that language is a tool for connection, not just a weapon for evasion. When we strip words of their common-sense meanings, we don't just lose the argument—we lose the ability to understand each other. Stick to the plain truth. It’s much easier to remember than a complex web of tenses and definitions.