meaningful

American  

[mee-ning-fuhl] / ˈmi nɪŋ fəl /

adjective

1. full of meaning, significance, purpose, or value; purposeful; significant.

   a meaningful wink;

   a meaningful choice.

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meaningful British  

/ ˈmiːnɪŋfʊl /

adjective

1. having great meaning or validity

2. eloquent, expressive

   a meaningful silence

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Usage

What are other ways to say meaningful? Something that is meaningful, such as a meaningful wink or meaningful choice, is full of meaning, purpose, or value. Do you know how meaningful differs from the synonyms expressive, significant, and suggestive? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

• meaningfully adverb
• meaningfulness noun

Etymology

Origin of meaningful

First recorded in 1850–55; meaning + -ful

Example Sentences

"The improvement we saw is clinically meaningful. These workers were able to stay awake and alert throughout a full eight-hour shift, which has real implications for performance, safety, and quality of life," Czeisler said.

From Science Daily

“This tragedy underscores the responsibility employers have to anticipate hazards and take meaningful steps to protect workers, especially in high-risk operations involving explosive materials,” Cal/OSHA spokeswoman Denisse Gomez said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

Even reducing intake by 1,000 mg per day can lead to meaningful improvements in blood pressure and overall heart health.

From Science Daily

"While higher gas prices can spur interest in electrified vehicles, they typically need to be sustained or more pronounced to drive a meaningful shift," said Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at Edmunds.

From Barron's

However, prolonged disruptions would amount to a meaningful supply shock, with cost pressures likely to show up first in producer prices before gradually filtering through to consumers, Liu added.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• consequential
• essential
• important
• purposeful
• relevant
• serious
• substantial
• useful
• valid
• worthwhile