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:
She disputed any suggestion that there was an effort to deliberately disadvantage customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
The animal welfare group sent a letter to Lloyd Thomas, president of Aberaeron Yacht Club, with the suggestion to "swap fish-focused festivities for an animal-friendly celebration of Welsh produce" by hosting an Aberaeron Cabbage Fiesta.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
He signed on at the suggestion of executive producer Kimberly Witherspoon, Bourdain’s former literary agent who now oversees his estate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
For now though, she bats away any suggestion that she's ready to end her series, even though she's arguably now more famous than some of the people she interviews.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
This suggestion may have been reassuring to those unfamiliar with the Court’s equal protection jurisprudence.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
But with the large-cap index making a return to record territory on Tuesday after a two-month hiatus, investors might want to take those suggestions with a grain of salt.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
She said no—and offered up suggestions for how to keep produce in your diet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
After "incorporating the suggestions of my cabinet colleagues", draft legislation would be given "its final shape", he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Andy Burnham has pulled back from suggestions about increasing the tax-free personal allowance.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“I was hoping for suggestions on something easier, like a dog-walking app with some sort of twist, but sure.”
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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.
