meaning
what is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import: the three meanings of a word.
the end, purpose, or significance of something: What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of this intrusion?
Linguistics.
the nonlinguistic cultural correlate, reference, or denotation of a linguistic form; expression.
linguistic content (opposed to expression).
intentioned (usually used in combination): She's a well-meaning person.
full of significance; expressive: a meaning look.
Origin of meaning
1synonym study For meaning
Other words for meaning
Other words from meaning
- mean·ing·ly, adverb
- mean·ing·ness, noun
- sub·mean·ing, noun
- un·der·mean·ing, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use meaning in a sentence
Acceleration has been one of the words to which the coronavirus has given a whole new meaning.
‘Without the luxury of time’: The Wall Street Journal rolls out new products for the fast-tempo ad market | Lucinda Southern | September 15, 2020 | DigidayOur language locks the meanings into place by the way that the things are combined together.
Talking Is Throwing Fictional Worlds at One Another - Issue 89: The Dark Side | Kevin Berger | September 9, 2020 | NautilusThe more related the meanings of two words were, the closer their embeddings should be in the space.
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit - Issue 89: The Dark Side | Raphaël Millière | September 9, 2020 | NautilusThe reform introduced new “neighboring” rights meaning that press publishers can recoup their investment when content is made available via news aggregators or media monitoring services.
State of play: Where the battle with Google and Facebook to pay for news is hottest | Lucinda Southern | September 7, 2020 | DigidayThe goal was to construct maps of the circuits across the brain that we rely on to understand the world, make meaning of our moment-to-moment experience, and respond to different situations.
Why do you feel lonely? Neuroscience is starting to find answers. | Amy Nordrum | September 4, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
“Protocols have specific meanings behind them, rather than do what I say because I say so,” she added.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau | Ian Frisch | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTrue Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto also wants to layer his show with meaning—or meanings.
‘True Detective’s’ Godless Universe: Is the HBO Show Anti-Christian? | Andrew Romano | March 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDo they all have hidden meanings or are you just having fun?
‘The Americans’ Showrunners Dissect the Secrets of Season 2 | Andrew Romano | February 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBy the 19th and 20th centuries, the guitar (and related stringed instruments) also acquired certain social meanings.
Was The Beatles’ Music Really That Unique? Yeah, It Totally Was. | Michael Tomasky | February 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDifferent boycotters will ascribe different meanings to the same act.
What Does the ASA Boycott Mean? They Don’t Know. | Jay Michaelson | December 4, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTHe will search out the hidden meanings of proverbs, and will be conversant in the secrets of parables.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousSince words have different meanings, we may sometimes find that a pair of words exemplify all three Laws, as plough and sword.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)From one of these, which may be considered as collateral primary meanings, it must therefore be deduced.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John CunninghamChaucer often rimes words that are pronounced alike, if their meanings be different.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems | Geoffrey ChaucerRomanoff spoke in low tones, but every word seemed to be laden with meanings hitherto unknown to Dick.
The Everlasting Arms | Joseph Hocking
British Dictionary definitions for meaning
/ (ˈmiːnɪŋ) /
the sense or significance of a word, sentence, symbol, etc; import; semantic or lexical content
the purpose underlying or intended by speech, action, etc
the inner, symbolic, or true interpretation, value, or message: the meaning of a dream
valid content; efficacy: a law with little or no meaning
philosophy
the sense of an expression; its connotation
the reference of an expression; its denotation. In recent philosophical writings meaning can be used in both the above senses: See also sense (def. 12)
expressive of some sense, intention, criticism, etc: a meaning look
- See also well-meaning
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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