mention
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to refer briefly to; name, specify, or speak of.
Don't forget to mention her contribution to the project.
- Synonyms:
- indicate
-
to cite formally for a meritorious act or achievement.
He was mentioned in dispatches from the war zone.
noun
idioms
verb
-
to refer to or speak about briefly or incidentally
-
to acknowledge or honour
-
to say nothing of something too obvious to mention
noun
-
a recognition or acknowledgment
-
a slight reference or allusion
he only got a mention in the article
the author makes no mention of that
-
the act of mentioning
-
philosophy logic linguistics the occurrence (of an expression) in such a context that it is itself referred to rather than performing its own linguistic function. In " Fido " names Fido, the word Fido is first mentioned and then used to refer to the dog Compare use See also formal mode
-
a preliminary hearing in a court of law
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
mentionernoun
-
prementionnoun
-
intermentionverb
-
rementionverb (used with object)
-
mentionableadjective
-
undermentionedadjective
-
unmentionedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
mentionsimple
-
mentionssimple
-
have mentionedperfect
-
has mentionedperfect
-
am mentioningprogressive
-
are mentioningprogressive
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is mentioningprogressive
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have been mentioningperfect progressive
-
has been mentioningperfect progressive
Past
-
mentionedsimple
-
had mentionedperfect
-
was mentioningprogressive
-
were mentioningprogressive
-
had been mentioningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mention
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin mentiōn-, stem of mentiō, literally, “a calling to mind, a touching upon” ( see mental 1, -ion); replacing Middle English mencioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
To mention something is to bring it up. If your mother embarrasses you by constantly mentioning your stuffed animal that you've been sleeping with for the past 15 years, you might mention it to her. In the context of awards, an "honorable mention" is an official recognition but not a prize. If you enter a writing competition, the judges might not think your piece is the best, but they might mention, or briefly say, that it came very close to winning.
Vocabulary lists containing mention
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 4
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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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.
See Examples For:
I think it was an important moment to mention them and for the fans that follow his music react to those words.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
I’m almost positive this piece existed; and the fact that I couldn’t find any mention of it in the sad, hollowed-out husk of the 2026 internet offers no proof that it didn’t.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Morgan Rogers was quick to mention one of his closest friends, Cole Palmer, when he signed for Chelsea from Aston Villa.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Thomas Jefferson personally crossed out every mention of the draft name Congress House for the structure and replaced them with Capitol.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Her name fell from mention even in the Spiritualist press.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Viewers submit themselves to the rising interpersonal temperatures, unconsciously counting the minutes, waiting for the moment someone inevitably mentions the proverbial heat.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
The disclosures make several mentions of World Liberty Financial, which issued its own cryptocurrency, WLFI, whose initial sale brought in $550 million.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
So anytime Susan mentions a song, I put it on the playlist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
She mentions one of her friends, who has had to cut her working hours to be able to do the school drop-offs and picks-ups.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Auntie Ying mentions she bought yarn at half price, somewhere out in the avenues.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
Infantino wrote: "You mentioned the few people denied visas and overlooked the millions who were approved, from all parts of the world. Because football unites the world, and it was impressively demonstrated this summer."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
All the companies mentioned in this article were given the opportunity to comment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
The company said in response that it has been addressing historical issues with its original application mentioned in the OCC letter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Many residents who have doorbell cameras have mentioned to authorities and reported to online forums similar door-kicking incidents, Miller said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Maggie was not mentioned as being at the table, but could she have been in or near the Grangers’ home?
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Laura Ingraham and Jesse Watters chose not to preview or promote the speech in the two prime hours leading up to it, and Ingraham refrained from mentioning it on her Friday, Monday and Tuesday broadcasts.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
The operator even backed out of certain bets mid-speech when Trump veered off script and skipped over a part that included a word Perez had placed a bet on Trump mentioning, the broadcaster said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
Besides mentioning it during a few arguments, Remy said, her mother hasn’t asked her to contribute or threatened to cut her off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Among the lots, a letter mentioning the death of author CS Lewis and a signed copy of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil sold at Sotheby's auction house in London for £20,480.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
“Overrun? By shamblers? When did that happen? Did everyone get out? How come you’re just now mentioning this?”
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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.
