suggestion
Americannoun
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suggestions
plural
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the act of suggesting.
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the state of being suggested.
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something suggested, as a piece of advice.
We made the suggestion that she resign.
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a slight trace.
He speaks with a suggestion of a foreign accent.
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the calling up in the mind of one idea by another by virtue of some association or of some natural connection between the ideas.
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the idea thus called up.
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Psychology.
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the process of inducing a thought, sensation, or action in a receptive person without using persuasion and without giving rise to reflection in the recipient.
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the thought, sensation, or action induced in this way.
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noun
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something that is suggested
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a hint or indication
a suggestion of the odour of violets
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psychol the process whereby the mere presentation of an idea to a receptive individual leads to the acceptance of that idea See also autosuggestion
Usage
What does suggestion mean?
A suggestion is a proposal, piece of advice, or idea for consideration.
Suggestion is the noun form the verb suggest. Suggestion is often used with the verbs offer and make, as in the common question, Can I make a suggestion?
In psychology, suggestion has a more specific meaning: the process in which the mere presentation of an idea to a receptive person leads to the acceptance of that idea.
Example: After explaining his new business plan, Tom told his colleagues that he was open to suggestions and other feedback.
Synonym Usage
See advice.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of suggestion
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English suggestio(u)n “incitement to evil,” from Medieval Latin suggestiōn-, stem of suggestiō, Latin: “addition, hint”; equivalent to suggest + -ion
Explanation
A suggestion is an idea someone proposes. You can accept or reject a suggestion. When someone gives an order — like in the military — it has to be carried out. On the other hand, a suggestion is an idea that's optional. At a restaurant, a waiter may make a suggestion of a good soup. A friend could make a suggestion of a fun movie. If you're new in town, you might ask for suggestions of good neighborhoods. Suggestions are ideas that can be taken or rejected; it’s up to the person who receives the suggestion.
Vocabulary lists containing suggestion
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
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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:
PSG midfielder Vitinha, who has won four Ligue 1 titles with the club, dismissed any suggestion the back-to-back Champions League winners treat it any differently, but did say PSG's "pre-season was a little short".
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Additionally, SpaceX’s suggestion that memory output is growing at about 20% each year while AI demand is growing at a 200% clip supports the idea that supply is still severely lagging demand, he noted.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Investors are treating any suggestion of peace talks with caution given recent false starts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
For now though, she bats away any suggestion that she's ready to end her series, even though she's arguably now more famous than some of the people she interviews.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“Crow considered Fox’s words. Of course, Crow was tired. And Fox’s suggestion seemed so much easier than all the hard work he’d been doing.”
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
There are even early suggestions that vitamin C may help the immune system recognize and attack tumors, though this remains speculative.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
But with the large-cap index making a return to record territory on Tuesday after a two-month hiatus, investors might want to take those suggestions with a grain of salt.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Sophie Miller, a stylist at Dotty Bridal in West Yorkshire, said suggestions they have previously made to brides getting married in hotter, overseas locations, can also be applied to the UK.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Arnault appeared particularly exercised by suggestions of a “Succession”-style struggle among his children—Delphine, Antoine, Alexandre, Frédéric and Jean—to take over.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Grandmasters were often guests on the show, evaluating the audience’s suggestions and discussing the win-loss possibilities of the contestants.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
