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

The malleability of the dog genome allows for enormous physical variety, she explained, meaning that breeders can push features to extremes—squashing snouts, piling on wrinkles.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Make it staff,” Faas said—meaning a member of AP, not a lowly stringer.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Arsenic naturally accumulates in groundwater and has no taste or smell, meaning people can drink contaminated water for years without knowing it.

Read more on Science Daily

It also says the threshold for higher, advanced and top bands will remain unchanged, meaning more people will pay a higher rate as their wages increase.

Read more on BBC

But with new people moving into the area, Ms Wiggins said she had felt "pushed" to notify locals as to the meaning behind the lights.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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