meaning

[mee-ning]

noun

1. what is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import.

   the three meanings of a word.

   Synonyms: trend, drift, gist, tenor

2. the end, purpose, or significance of something.

   What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of this intrusion?

3. Linguistics.

   1. the nonlinguistic cultural correlate, reference, or denotation of a linguistic form; expression.

   2. linguistic content (expression ).

adjective

1. intentioned (usually used in combination).

   She's a well-meaning person.

2. full of significance; expressive.

   a meaning look.

meaning

/ ˈmiːnɪŋ /

noun

1. the sense or significance of a word, sentence, symbol, etc; import; semantic or lexical content

2. the purpose underlying or intended by speech, action, etc

3. the inner, symbolic, or true interpretation, value, or message

   the meaning of a dream

4. valid content; efficacy

   a law with little or no meaning

5. philosophy

   1. the sense of an expression; its connotation

   2. the reference of an expression; its denotation. In recent philosophical writings meaning can be used in both the above senses See also sense

adjective

1. expressive of some sense, intention, criticism, etc

   a meaning look

Other Word Forms

• meaningly adverb
• meaningness noun
• submeaning noun
• undermeaning noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of meaning¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun); mean ¹, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Synonym Study

Meaning, purport, sense, significance denote that which is expressed or indicated by something. Meaning is the general word denoting that which is intended to be or actually is expressed or indicated: the meaning of a word or glance. Sense may be used to denote a particular meaning (among others) of a word or phrase: The word is frequently used in this sense. Sense may also be used loosely to refer to intelligible meaning: There's no sense in what he says. Significance refers particularly to a meaning that is implied rather than expressed: the significance of her glance; or to a meaning the importance of which may not be easy to perceive immediately: The real significance of his words was not grasped at the time. Purport is mainly limited to the meaning of a formal document, speech, important conversation, etc., and refers to the gist of something fairly complicated: the purport of your letter to the editor.

Example Sentences

Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, brought the issue to Parliament as an urgent question, warning "the seriousness of the term terrorism risks losing its meaning, becoming diluted rather than strengthened".

From BBC

It’s a bold but hard-earned move considering he is known for his lyricism in Japanese, tackling themes as deep and broad as mortality, forms of love, greater meaning and gratitude.

From Los Angeles Times

The meaning is not something that a lay person can necessarily intuit.

From Salon

“People keep e-mailing me to ask, ‘What is the meaning of life?’”

From Los Angeles Times

“We know from research when we can do that, that kids take that meaning away and hold on to it.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• connotation 
• content 
• context 
• definition 
• effect 
• essence 
• explanation 
• hint 
• implication 
• interpretation 
• nuance 
• sense 
• significance 
• spirit 
• subject 
• substance 
• understanding 
• value