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meaning

[ mee-ning ]
/ ˈmi nÉȘƋ /
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See synonyms for: meaning / meanings on Thesaurus.com
noun
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.
  1. the nonlinguistic cultural correlate, reference, or denotation of a linguistic form; expression.
  2. linguistic content (opposed to expression).
adjective
intentioned (usually used in combination): She's a well-meaning person.
full of significance; expressive: a meaning look.
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Origin of meaning

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun); see mean1, -ing1, -ing2

synonym study for meaning

1. Meaning, purport, sense, significance denote that which is expressed or indicated by something. Meaning is the general word denoting that which is intended to be or actually is expressed or indicated: the meaning of a word or glance. Sense may be used to denote a particular meaning (among others) of a word or phrase: The word is frequently used in this sense. Sense may also be used loosely to refer to intelligible meaning: There's no sense in what he says. Significance refers particularly to a meaning that is implied rather than expressed: the significance of her glance; or to a meaning the importance of which may not be easy to perceive immediately: The real significance of his words was not grasped at the time. Purport is mainly limited to the meaning of a formal document, speech, important conversation, etc., and refers to the gist of something fairly complicated: the purport of your letter to the editor.

OTHER WORDS FROM meaning

mean·ing·ly, adverbmean·ing·ness, nounsub·mean·ing, nounun·der·mean·ing, noun

Words nearby meaning

mean deviation, mean distance, meandrous, mean free path, meanie, meaning, meaningful, meaningful relationship, meaningless, mean length of utterance, mean lethal dose
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to meaning

connotation, content, context, definition, effect, essence, explanation, hint, implication, interpretation, nuance, sense, significance, spirit, subject, substance, understanding, value, idea, intent

How to use meaning in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for meaning

meaning
/ (ˈmiːnÉȘƋ) /
noun
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 messagethe meaning of a dream
valid content; efficacya law with little or no meaning
philosophy
  1. the sense of an expression; its connotation
  2. the reference of an expression; its denotation. In recent philosophical writings meaning can be used in both the above sensesSee also sense (def. 12)
adjective
expressive of some sense, intention, criticism, etca 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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