mention
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to refer briefly to; name, specify, or speak of.
Don't forget to mention her contribution to the project.
- Synonyms:
- indicate
-
to cite formally for a meritorious act or achievement.
He was mentioned in dispatches from the war zone.
noun
idioms
verb
-
to refer to or speak about briefly or incidentally
-
to acknowledge or honour
-
to say nothing of something too obvious to mention
noun
-
a recognition or acknowledgment
-
a slight reference or allusion
he only got a mention in the article
the author makes no mention of that
-
the act of mentioning
-
philosophy logic linguistics the occurrence (of an expression) in such a context that it is itself referred to rather than performing its own linguistic function. In " Fido " names Fido, the word Fido is first mentioned and then used to refer to the dog Compare use See also formal mode
-
a preliminary hearing in a court of law
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
mentionernoun
-
prementionnoun
-
intermentionverb
-
rementionverb (used with object)
-
mentionableadjective
-
undermentionedadjective
-
unmentionedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
mentionsimple
-
mentionssimple
-
have mentionedperfect
-
has mentionedperfect
-
am mentioningprogressive
-
are mentioningprogressive
-
is mentioningprogressive
-
have been mentioningperfect progressive
-
has been mentioningperfect progressive
Past
-
mentionedsimple
-
had mentionedperfect
-
was mentioningprogressive
-
were mentioningprogressive
-
had been mentioningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mention
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin mentiōn-, stem of mentiō, literally, “a calling to mind, a touching upon” ( see mental 1, -ion); replacing Middle English mencioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
To mention something is to bring it up. If your mother embarrasses you by constantly mentioning your stuffed animal that you've been sleeping with for the past 15 years, you might mention it to her. In the context of awards, an "honorable mention" is an official recognition but not a prize. If you enter a writing competition, the judges might not think your piece is the best, but they might mention, or briefly say, that it came very close to winning.
Vocabulary lists containing mention
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 4
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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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:
Thomas Jefferson personally crossed out every mention of the draft name Congress House for the structure and replaced them with Capitol.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Wangchuk's statement and an earlier letter to federal ministers he met on Tuesday night omitted any mention of Pradhan's resignation, but the CJP insisted the demand remained non-negotiable.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The US Energy Department made no mention of such a provision and did not offer comment when asked about it by AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
And anyway, she’s got a solo tour coming up, not to mention a long-awaited Internet LP to finish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
And at the neighborhood party, Camille told me not to mention my postcard to the FBI.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
In the leaked chat, Kim orders the executive to remove mentions of Jang "working hard" from internal reports: a phrase several employees used to describe Jang's final shift.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Viewers submit themselves to the rising interpersonal temperatures, unconsciously counting the minutes, waiting for the moment someone inevitably mentions the proverbial heat.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
The disclosures make several mentions of World Liberty Financial, which issued its own cryptocurrency, WLFI, whose initial sale brought in $550 million.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
In a hard hat and hi-viz vest, Asdourian appears climbing ladders to tape- and marker-over all mentions of the brand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
“The prophecy mentions twelve beings. Only two are described as Overlanders. You and your father fill that number,” said Solovet.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
The company said in response that it has been addressing historical issues with its original application mentioned in the OCC letter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The 64-year-old billionaire and head of African football has been repeatedly mentioned in the South African media as a potential successor to his brother-in-law, President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose second and final term ends in 2029.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
When I asked Desai to identify the specific policies and provisions he mentioned, he told me to go hunt them down myself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Most were at the awareness stage: AI is mentioned in a risk disclosure, nothing more.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Fa never mentioned him, or the Raven Clan.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
You can't talk about Lamine Yamal without mentioning Messi.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
But,” Didisheim added, “the sudden headlines mentioning the ‘WallStreetBets’ Reddit forum driving a historic short squeeze: that is the unpredictable ‘pure news’.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 4, 2026
That vocal style is worth mentioning because it’ll be a barrier for some listeners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
HBO has asked journalists to refrain from spoiling specific jokes, revealing certain gags, or mentioning guest stars that haven’t been announced or confirmed in photos.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
“I don’t remember anyone mentioning a chicken coop.”
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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.
