- present participle of mean.
meaning
Americannoun
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what is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import.
the three meanings of a word.
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the end, purpose, or significance of something.
What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of this intrusion?
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Linguistics.
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the nonlinguistic cultural correlate, reference, or denotation of a linguistic form; expression.
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linguistic content (opposed to expression).
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adjective
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intentioned (usually used in combination).
She's a well-meaning person.
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full of significance; expressive.
a meaning look.
noun
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the sense or significance of a word, sentence, symbol, etc; import; semantic or lexical content
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the purpose underlying or intended by speech, action, etc
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the inner, symbolic, or true interpretation, value, or message
the meaning of a dream
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valid content; efficacy
a law with little or no meaning
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philosophy
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the sense of an expression; its connotation
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the reference of an expression; its denotation. In recent philosophical writings meaning can be used in both the above senses See also sense
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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)
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Dictionary Words: Lexicography Lingo
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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:
Study co-author and Butchulla man Conway Burns says protecting the lakes is essential so that their beauty, meaning, and connection to Country can continue for future generations.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
As the fronts push south, they may fizzle out, meaning little or no rainfall for the places that need it most, in the south and east.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
That’s because if the deal goes through it stands a good chance to fail — failure in this case meaning that the combined company destroys more shareholder value than it creates.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Some American multinationals such as Exxon Mobil have subsidiaries in Europe that import energy from outside the bloc, meaning the rules would apply to them, too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
But I am telling you—you who know so much about interrogating people and observing the hidden meaning of their hearts—I am telling you; I think she might have looked away to strengthen herself.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
His poetic titles often defy translation; their layered meanings and references can only be approximated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
You get a little tetchy when it comes to laying out the meanings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
He decided to write about the meanings hidden in the way people waved their arms and gesticulated to make a point.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
The word “morally” carries a weight with different subjective meanings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
Both past tenses have been around for hundreds of years, but since the sixteenth century it’s been customary to reserve hanged for referring to executions, and to use hung for other meanings.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
