meaningful

[mee-ning-fuhl]

adjective

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

   a meaningful wink;

   a meaningful choice.

meaningful

/ ˈmiːnɪŋfʊl /

adjective

1. having great meaning or validity

2. eloquent, expressive

   a meaningful silence

Other Word Forms

• meaningfully adverb
• meaningfulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of meaningful¹

First recorded in 1850–55; meaning + -ful

Example Sentences

The FDA said when it approved the drug in 2021 that the medicine had shown a “clinically meaningful benefit” in trials.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Dutch government said the sculpture of a high-ranking official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III is "deeply meaningful to Egypt's identity".

Read more on BBC

“China’s current strategic petroleum reserve and commercial stocks already provide a meaningful buffer against short-term supply disruptions,” said Kelly Xu, a commodity and energy strategist at Alpine Macro.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"Multiply that across a whole population of children, and you're looking at a meaningful shift in early cardiometabolic risk that could carry into adulthood."

Read more on Science Daily

Republicans and Democrats have traded blame for the federal shutdown, which will soon enter its second month, and there has not been any meaningful progress toward a deal.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• consequential 
• essential 
• important 
• purposeful 
• relevant 
• serious 
• substantial 
• useful 
• valid 
• worthwhile 

When To Use

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.