The article discusses the neurobiology of semantic memory, which encompasses all acquired knowledge about the world and is crucial for human activities. Recent neuroimaging studies have revealed two key findings: the involvement of modality-specific sensory, motor, and emotion systems in language comprehension, and the existence of large brain regions that participate in comprehension tasks but are not modality-specific. These latter regions, including the inferior parietal lobe and parts of the temporal lobe, lie at the convergence points of multiple perceptual processing streams, enabling the formation of increasingly abstract, supramodal representations of perceptual experience. These representations support various conceptual functions, such as object recognition, social cognition, language, and the human capacity to remember the past and imagine the future. The authors propose a large-scale neural model of semantic processing that integrates multiple lines of empirical and theoretical work. They argue that semantic memory consists of both modality-specific and supramodal representations, with the latter supported by the convergence of information in large regions of temporal and inferior parietal association cortex. This model explains how humans use conceptual knowledge for more than just interacting with objects, as it underpins all aspects of human culture, including science, literature, social institutions, religion, and art. The article also addresses central issues in semantic processing, such as the nature of concept representations and the mechanisms that control semantic information retrieval. It discusses the role of modality-specific simulation in comprehension, evidence for high-level convergence zones, and the importance of embodied abstraction in conceptual representation. The authors propose a 'embodied abstraction' model, where conceptual representation consists of multiple levels of abstraction from sensory, motor, and affective input, with the top level containing schematic representations that are highly abstracted from detailed perceptual details. Finally, the article outlines a neuroanatomical model of semantic processing, highlighting the involvement of heteromodal cortex in semantic memory processes. This model suggests that the posterior cingulate gyrus and adjacent precuneus play a crucial role in encoding semantically and emotionally meaningful events in episodic memory. The authors conclude by discussing the overlap between semantic processing and other cognitive functions, such as social cognition, episodic memory retrieval, prospection, and self-knowledge, and the potential adaptive value of these processes for human behavior and cultural development.The article discusses the neurobiology of semantic memory, which encompasses all acquired knowledge about the world and is crucial for human activities. Recent neuroimaging studies have revealed two key findings: the involvement of modality-specific sensory, motor, and emotion systems in language comprehension, and the existence of large brain regions that participate in comprehension tasks but are not modality-specific. These latter regions, including the inferior parietal lobe and parts of the temporal lobe, lie at the convergence points of multiple perceptual processing streams, enabling the formation of increasingly abstract, supramodal representations of perceptual experience. These representations support various conceptual functions, such as object recognition, social cognition, language, and the human capacity to remember the past and imagine the future. The authors propose a large-scale neural model of semantic processing that integrates multiple lines of empirical and theoretical work. They argue that semantic memory consists of both modality-specific and supramodal representations, with the latter supported by the convergence of information in large regions of temporal and inferior parietal association cortex. This model explains how humans use conceptual knowledge for more than just interacting with objects, as it underpins all aspects of human culture, including science, literature, social institutions, religion, and art. The article also addresses central issues in semantic processing, such as the nature of concept representations and the mechanisms that control semantic information retrieval. It discusses the role of modality-specific simulation in comprehension, evidence for high-level convergence zones, and the importance of embodied abstraction in conceptual representation. The authors propose a 'embodied abstraction' model, where conceptual representation consists of multiple levels of abstraction from sensory, motor, and affective input, with the top level containing schematic representations that are highly abstracted from detailed perceptual details. Finally, the article outlines a neuroanatomical model of semantic processing, highlighting the involvement of heteromodal cortex in semantic memory processes. This model suggests that the posterior cingulate gyrus and adjacent precuneus play a crucial role in encoding semantically and emotionally meaningful events in episodic memory. The authors conclude by discussing the overlap between semantic processing and other cognitive functions, such as social cognition, episodic memory retrieval, prospection, and self-knowledge, and the potential adaptive value of these processes for human behavior and cultural development.