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 Words From

• meaning·ly adverb
• meaning·ness noun
• sub·meaning noun
• under·meaning 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

Interestingly, about half of these adaptive signals were detectable only in the oldest time periods, meaning they later vanished due to genetic drift or were masked by extensive population mixing.

From Science Daily

He said, at times, staff ratios had to be stretched, meaning specialist critical care nurses had to look after six patients rather than give the one-to-one care they would in normal times.

From BBC

The trial was conducted in a double-blind fashion, meaning that neither patient nor clinician knew when they received the active drug.

From Science Daily

This is mostly rooted in the partnership between Khalid and Ina, a relationship that, in its avoidance of overt romantics, blossoms and finds meaning in the gentle progression of their closeness.

From New York Times

He sometimes mangled his sentences, but even when his syntax was less than perfect, his meaning was clear.

From New York Times

Related Words

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