Semantic collision matrix
Type: Comparative view
Status: Active derived view
Canonical for: Cross-system lexical collisions within the controlled Button sample
Depends on: Variant naming matrix, linked first-party sources, and evidence boundaries
Counts below are counts within the 15-system Button sample, not market prevalence. A term is counted only when exposed in the public mechanism sampled. The final column is an inference from observed semantic conflict, not a measured agent-error rating.
| Term | Sample frequency | Documented meanings observed | Agreement | Hypothesized prior-conflict condition; not measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
primary | 8 | highest emphasis; preferred action; filled/accent treatment; category of emphasis | moderate, relational | conflict is plausible when a local system assigns a domain-specific meaning |
secondary | 8 | lower emphasis; secondary call to action; outline-like treatment; USWDS secondary color | conflict | observed cross-system meanings create a direct ambiguity to test |
tertiary | 4 | lowest/lower emphasis; borderless/minimal treatment | moderate | interpretation depends on relation and layout scope |
default | 3 | ordinary action; default appearance; non-confirm/non-danger action type | weak/conflicting | absence of an override does not communicate purpose |
neutral | 1 Button sample | Salesforce default white treatment | insufficient sample; feedback systems use “no status” | sample is insufficient for a directional hypothesis |
brand | 1 | Salesforce brand treatment | insufficient; generally presentation/identity | may cue identity or presentation rather than use |
subtle | 2 | low visual prominence/minimal chrome | fairly stable appearance/emphasis | appearance may be interpretable while selection remains unstated |
ghost | 2 | chrome-free/minimal visual treatment | stable appearance | appearance is more explicit than decision purpose |
danger | 5 | destructive or high-consequence action; sometimes also most prominent treatment | stable consequence, variable prominence | consequence and prominence may still be conflated |
destructive | 1 | destructive treatment/action, plus text form | stable locally | severity and confirmation stage remain unstated |
success | 2 | positive/confirmation color or action styling | broad tone, not functional role | tone does not establish functional role |
Collision details
secondary
- Carbon uses it relationally in flows: the forward action is primary, Back secondary and Cancel ghost. Carbon
- GOV.UK says it is for secondary calls to action. GOV.UK
- PatternFly explicitly says a secondary button does not have to be second; the term describes visual hierarchy. PatternFly
- USWDS defines the modifier as a secondary-color button. USWDS
- Spectrum describes its variant axis as visual emphasis. Spectrum design data
Documented: the same lexical value denotes at least relative prominence and palette choice. An uninformed agent cannot recover the local meaning from the word alone.
danger / destructive
Consequence is more stable than secondary, but presentation is not. GitLab notes that destructive actions in lists may retain a default treatment so they do not overwhelm the hierarchy, while final confirmation should use danger. GitLab GOV.UK similarly reserves warning styling for the final serious action rather than the initial entry point. GOV.UK
Documented: consequence and prominence are orthogonal even when an API bundles them.
default
Primer uses default as a general visual variant; GitLab uses it as the non-confirm/non-danger action meaning; Atlassian uses it alongside prominence, consequence and experience-specific appearances. A default is also version- and context-dependent. Inferred: it is a poor canonical concept identifier because its extension changes when the surrounding system changes.
Interpretation rule
The matrix does not prove these names are bad for humans or machines. It demonstrates that cross-system lexical priors are insufficient. Correct interpretation requires system identity, property dimension, definition and local decision rules.