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:
There is no suggestion of him doing anything that could have been outside the terms of his contract.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
At GEO Group’s suggestion, the judge’s order remains in effect until Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
However, Ankara rejected Israel's suggestion that it posed a threat.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The decision was made "at the suggestion of the US side", it added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Other folks ran down the street, too, calling out one suggestion after another.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
There are early suggestions he was denied entry back into a nightclub, or he had a drink poured over him.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Do you have suggestions for affordable health-insurance options she could look into?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
They offer suggestions based on what we liked last time.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
Curtis himself has played a starring role in the turnaround effort, featuring in videos on Burger King’s social-media accounts where he encourages customers to call him directly with suggestions or complaints.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
I’d essentially be proofreading—checking for errors and making suggestions about work that had already been done on behalf of “our team.”
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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.
