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Synonyms

meaningful

American  
[mee-ning-fuhl] / ˈmi nɪŋ fəl /

adjective

  1. full of meaning, significance, purpose, or value; purposeful; significant.

    a meaningful wink;

    a meaningful choice.


meaningful British  
/ ˈmiːnɪŋfʊl /

adjective

  1. having great meaning or validity

  2. eloquent, expressive

    a meaningful silence

"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

Usage

What are other ways to say meaningful? Something that is meaningful, such as a meaningful wink or meaningful choice, is full of meaning, purpose, or value. Do you know how meaningful differs from the synonyms expressive, significant, and suggestive? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

  • meaningfully adverb
  • meaningfulness noun

Etymology

Origin of meaningful

First recorded in 1850–55; meaning + -ful

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.

A high release point, yet to actually release a meaningful Ashes delivery.

From BBC

“It’s clear that everybody who states that they care about veterans are going to want to know what will make a meaningful impact in their lives.”

From Los Angeles Times

Indeed, the very features that make gifts inefficient as market transactions—surprise, idiosyncrasy, miscalibration—are often what make them meaningful as social gestures.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ninety percent believe they have the ability to exercise meaningful control over their own lives.

From The Wall Street Journal

Its trapped-ion architecture operates at room temperature, a meaningful advantage when competitors require cooling systems that make Antarctica look balmy.

From MarketWatch