- present participle of mean.
meaning
Americannoun
-
what is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import.
the three meanings of a word.
-
the end, purpose, or significance of something.
What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of this intrusion?
-
Linguistics.
-
the nonlinguistic cultural correlate, reference, or denotation of a linguistic form; expression.
-
linguistic content (opposed to expression).
-
adjective
-
intentioned (usually used in combination).
She's a well-meaning person.
-
full of significance; expressive.
a meaning look.
noun
-
the sense or significance of a word, sentence, symbol, etc; import; semantic or lexical content
-
the purpose underlying or intended by speech, action, etc
-
the inner, symbolic, or true interpretation, value, or message
the meaning of a dream
-
valid content; efficacy
a law with little or no meaning
-
philosophy
-
the sense of an expression; its connotation
-
the reference of an expression; its denotation. In recent philosophical writings meaning can be used in both the above senses See also sense
-
adjective
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of meaning
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun); see mean 1, -ing 1, -ing 2
Explanation
Meaning is what a word, action, or concept is all about — its purpose, significance, or definition. If you want to learn the meaning of the word meaning, you just need to look it up in the dictionary. Meaning represents something's intent or purpose. That something can be a book, a conversation, a television show, or life itself (as in, "the meaning of life"). When you read a poem, you try to figure out the author's intended meaning by interpreting the words he has chosen. For example, if a poet describes love as "a prison," you might interpret the meaning as his feeling confined by his love.
Vocabulary lists containing meaning
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Dictionary Words: Lexicography Lingo
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
But it does show that the state’s current monopoly over the legal meaning of public safety is not natural.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
It gives unique insight into the meaning of history, the moral problem of military dominance by one culture over others and the corrosive effect—in the Hellenic world as elsewhere—of the allure of money.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Past findings produced by Wada suggest micro-dosing could evade detection methods, and so the scope to cheat in professional sport remains, meaning all efforts must be taken to ensure nobody beats the system.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Now, that request has been denied, meaning that Cher will be forced to cover those costs herself.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
No one did get Twitch’s meaning exactly, but they all understood that there was now a larger group of friends, which left everyone feeling a buzz of excitement for the possibilities that might follow.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
If, like me, you’re tired of true crime documentaries whose investigations feel sordid and prurient, it’s a relief to find documentaries that deal with crimes but find new meanings in the stories.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
The Washington monument is both architecture and sculpture, a powerful symbol with layered meanings for different generations from Washington’s time to ours.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
The thorny protection of hedges led to other historical meanings, though.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
He decided to write about the meanings hidden in the way people waved their arms and gesticulated to make a point.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
Patterson paused briefly, before launching into his standard convocation address, the one where he used the word “august” with all three of its meanings, just because he could.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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.
