suggestion
Americannoun
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suggestions
plural
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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 senior palace aide dismissed any suggestion that Buckingham Palace was surprised, even blindsided, by the shift in the government position saying they were told about it in a "timely manner".
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
The suggestion here was rather than falling for oversimplification and conspiracy theories when it comes to examining the interaction of “music, discourse and social action,” look to Beethoven.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Akraminia's remarks followed Trump's suggestion that the US could swiftly strike its remaining targets in Iran.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
"The suggestion is that attention should go to what he is saying. But the plain T-shirt remains an image choice. Looking un-styled can still be a deliberate form of branding."
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
Shirley replied with a similar suggestion, in Chinese.
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
“We have a feeling he’s already settling into the great newsroom in the sky, no doubt with a few suggestions on how things should be run,” Courtney wrote in the Facebook post.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
One of the few suggestions Stallone made for "I Play Rocky" was to cast a little-known actor, said producer Michele Weiss at a press conference.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
In a spring survey of 133 lawyers at Cordell & Cordell, a national family-law firm, 80% said clients had sent them correspondence, draft pleadings or strategy suggestions they believed were generated with AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Challenged by the BBC over how immigration agents handled both shooting incidents, Bovino rejected suggestions that video evidence undermined his claim that Good and Pretti had intended to harm the agents.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
The whole community makes suggestions, but at the end of the day you get to pick your own new name.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
