meaningful
Americanadjective
adjective
-
having great meaning or validity
-
eloquent, expressive
a meaningful silence
Usage
What are other ways to say meaningful? Something that is meaningful, such as a meaningful wink or meaningful choice, is full of meaning, purpose, or value. Do you know how meaningful differs from the synonyms expressive, significant, and suggestive? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of meaningful
Explanation
Use the adjective meaningful to describe something that has a purpose, like a political rally for a cause you believe in strongly. You would probably say that your backpacking trip across Asia was meaningful, or worthwhile, but you might not describe three hours watching bad TV shows as meaningful. When something is important or significant, it is meaningful, or "full of meaning." Meaning itself comes from the word mean, which has its roots in the Old English mænan, "to signify, tell, or complain."
Vocabulary lists containing meaningful
Power Suffix: -ful
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Very Necessary: Synonyms for "Important"
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-ful
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The deals have provided meaningful revenue for a handful of news and magazine publishers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Looking at the rising numbers of silicosis cases, the Western Occupational & Environmental Medical Assn. submitted a petition to the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board in December seeking more meaningful change.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
“If volatility continues to fall and trends rebuild, systematic strategies can begin adding exposure again. The next meaningful mechanical flow may be re-leveraging rather than deleveraging,” said Rubner.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
"This study demonstrates that blood-based methylation profiling can deliver clinically meaningful information across multiple diseases," said Zhou.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
Defendants are typically denied meaningful legal representation, pressured by the threat of a lengthy sentence into a plea bargain, and then placed under formal control—in prison or jail, on probation or parole.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
