suggestion

[suh g-jes-chuh n, suh-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR suggestion ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of suggesting.

the state of being suggested.

something suggested, as a piece of advice: We made the suggestion that she resign.

a slight trace: He speaks with a suggestion of a foreign accent.

the calling up in the mind of one idea by another by virtue of some association or of some natural connection between the ideas.

the idea thus called up.

Psychology.

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.
the thought, sensation, or action induced in this way.

Origin of suggestion

1300–50; Middle English suggestio(u)n incitement to evil < Medieval Latin suggestiōn- (stem of suggestiō), Latin: act of supplying an answer or hint, equivalent to suggest(us) (see suggest) + -iōn- -ion

Related formscoun·ter·sug·ges·tion, nounnon·sug·ges·tion, nounpre·sug·ges·tion, nounself-sug·ges·tion, noun

Synonym study

1, 3. See advice.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for suggestions

resolution, instruction, tip, idea, invitation, motion, charge, proposition, recommendation, opinion, proposal, approach, thought, suspicion, indication, notion, brainchild, injunction, thesis, pitch

Examples from the Web for suggestions

Contemporary Examples of suggestions

Picasso and Guillaume can laugh through an entire night of suggestions, inventions, songs, games that Max plays with his face.
Did Picasso Try to Steal the Mona Lisa?
Nick Mafi
October 23, 2014
Elder and the NFB have approached Uber with their own set of suggestions.
Uber and Airbnb Leave Disabled People Behind
Elizabeth Heideman
October 4, 2014
Well the idea of “release” and infanticide and suggestions of eliminating the imperfect is pretty gnarly, if you think about it.
'The Giver' Star Brenton Thwaites Knows You Think He's Too Old to Play Jonas
Kevin Fallon
August 13, 2014
The family then estimates an appropriate dose, based on suggestions from other parents whose children suffer from Dravet syndrome.
Canadian Parents Risk Jail to Give Sick Kid Marijuana
Tim Mak
July 22, 2014
And there were suggestions that his age had gotten to him, as he appeared confused at a final campaign stop on Tuesday.
Charlie Rangel Dances On
Gideon Resnick
June 25, 2014

Historical Examples of suggestions

And not one of their suggestions seems to go to the root of the matter.
The Non-Christian Cross
John Denham Parsons
Well pleased with these suggestions, the youth hastened to carry them out.
Rico and Wiseli
Johanna Spyri
There were suggestions of triumph, relief, gratitude in the indefinable tone of these words.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
I have acted on all his suggestions, and feel as proud as if I had originated them myself.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
The committee adopted these suggestions after a short deliberation.
Freeland
Theodor Hertzka

British Dictionary definitions for suggestions

suggestion

noun

something that is suggested

a hint or indicationa suggestion of the odour of violets

psychol the process whereby the mere presentation of an idea to a receptive individual leads to the acceptance of that ideaSee also autosuggestion

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for suggestions

suggestion

mid-14c., "a prompting to evil," from Anglo-French and Old French suggestioun, from Latin suggestionem (nominative suggestio) "an addition, intimation, suggestion," from suggestus, past participle of suggerere "suggest, supply, bring up," from sub "up" (see sub-) + gerere "bring, carry" (see gest). Sense evolution in Latin is from "heap up, build" to "bring forward an idea." Meaning "proposal" appeared by late 14c., but original English notion of "evil prompting" is preserved in suggestive (1630s, though the indecent aspect did not emerge until 1888). Hypnotism sense is from 1887.

suggestions in Medicine

suggestion

[səg-jĕs′chən, sə-jĕs′-]

n.

Implanting of an idea in the mind of another by a word or act so as to influence conduct or physical condition.