suggestion
Americannoun
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the act of suggesting.
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the state of being suggested.
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something suggested, as a piece of advice.
We made the suggestion that she resign.
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a slight trace.
He speaks with a suggestion of a foreign accent.
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the calling up in the mind of one idea by another by virtue of some association or of some natural connection between the ideas.
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the idea thus called up.
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Psychology.
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the process of inducing a thought, sensation, or action in a receptive person without using persuasion and without giving rise to reflection in the recipient.
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the thought, sensation, or action induced in this way.
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noun
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something that is suggested
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a hint or indication
a suggestion of the odour of violets
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psychol the process whereby the mere presentation of an idea to a receptive individual leads to the acceptance of that idea See also autosuggestion
Usage
What does suggestion mean?
A suggestion is a proposal, piece of advice, or idea for consideration.
Suggestion is the noun form the verb suggest. Suggestion is often used with the verbs offer and make, as in the common question, Can I make a suggestion?
In psychology, suggestion has a more specific meaning: the process in which the mere presentation of an idea to a receptive person leads to the acceptance of that idea.
Example: After explaining his new business plan, Tom told his colleagues that he was open to suggestions and other feedback.
Synonym Usage
See advice.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of suggestion
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English suggestio(u)n “incitement to evil,” from Medieval Latin suggestiōn-, stem of suggestiō, Latin: “addition, hint”; equivalent to suggest + -ion
Explanation
A suggestion is an idea someone proposes. You can accept or reject a suggestion. When someone gives an order — like in the military — it has to be carried out. On the other hand, a suggestion is an idea that's optional. At a restaurant, a waiter may make a suggestion of a good soup. A friend could make a suggestion of a fun movie. If you're new in town, you might ask for suggestions of good neighborhoods. Suggestions are ideas that can be taken or rejected; it’s up to the person who receives the suggestion.
Vocabulary lists containing suggestion
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
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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:
“The suggestion that the bank has compromised its underwriting standards is false and not substantiated by the facts or the performance of the portfolio over time.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Marcos made the suggestion in a wide-ranging State of the Nation speech that placed spiralling energy costs and inflation, driven by the war in the Middle East, centre-stage.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Your adviser’s suggestion to manage $700,000 through a proprietary equity hedge strategy gives me pause.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The adaptation delves more into their marital melancholy, but I felt I understood them better in Shakespeare’s original, which recognizes the power of suggestion and interpretive restraint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
It was one of their grandmother’s requests disguised as a suggestion, one which seemed innocuous enough, that Caroline attend Radcliffe College.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Arnault appeared particularly exercised by suggestions of a “Succession”-style struggle among his children—Delphine, Antoine, Alexandre, Frédéric and Jean—to take over.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
After "incorporating the suggestions of my cabinet colleagues", a draft legislation would be given "its final shape", he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Some of these suggestions may not be suitable for them.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
In this week’s Screen Gab, ‘Running Point’ co-creator David Stassen discusses the new season, plus streaming suggestions for your weekend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
The obvious suggestions have been made—displace, transmute, dissemble.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
