- present participle of mean.
meaning
Americannoun
-
meanings
plural
-
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).
-
adjective
-
intentioned (usually used in combination).
She's a well-meaning person.
-
full of significance; expressive.
a meaning look.
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 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
-
adjective
Synonym Usage
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 Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of meaning
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun); see mean 1, -ing 1, -ing 2
Explanation
Meaning is what a word, action, or concept is all about — its purpose, significance, or definition. If you want to learn the meaning of the word meaning, you just need to look it up in the dictionary. Meaning represents something's intent or purpose. That something can be a book, a conversation, a television show, or life itself (as in, "the meaning of life"). When you read a poem, you try to figure out the author's intended meaning by interpreting the words he has chosen. For example, if a poet describes love as "a prison," you might interpret the meaning as his feeling confined by his love.
Vocabulary lists containing meaning
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Dictionary Words: Lexicography Lingo
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The bank has pushed out its timeline for the dry season, meaning it now expects to see food prices go up next year instead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
He lasted two days as a Sea Org recruiter, meaning, he writes, “contractually, I owe the Church of Scientology a billion years of labor minus two days.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
He wrote that capital spending on AI has outpaced free-cash-flow generation, meaning that companies have needed to tap external financing for hardware purchases.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
She is an independent crossbench peer, meaning she does not represent any political party.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
“Maarsii,” Berlin said, meaning the word more because it was in Michif.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The work’s more resonant meanings emerge organically as Jean and Berenger battle over Jean’s willing resignation of his human form.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Spend enough years standing behind pyramids of hamburgers, posing at fry stations and inserting yourself into the iconography of American restaurant chains, and eventually the props begin to accrue meanings of their own.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
In the labyrinthine manner of Orhan Pamuk or Umberto Eco, the novel playfully explores symbols and the ways their meanings evolve across time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
These meanings haven’t been conveyed to the consumer, who, in their confusion, may unintentionally contribute to food waste by disposing of food they believe is spoiled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
He’d read enough fairy tales to know that there were hidden meanings in all the words.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
