Phatic

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In linguistics, a phatic expression is one whose only function is to perform a social task.

For example, "you're welcome" is not intended to convey the message that the hearer is welcome; it is a phatic response to being thanked, which in turn is a phatic whose function is to be polite in response to a gift.

Similarly, in American English, the question "how are you?" is usually an automatic component of a social encounter. Although there are times when "how are you?" is asked in a sincere, concerned manner and does in fact anticipate a detailed response regarding the respondent's present ills, this needs to be inferred from context and inflection.

The utterance of a phatic expression is a kind of speech act.