View synonyms for

meaning

[ mee-ning ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

what is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import:
the three meanings of a word.
Synonyms: , , ,
the end, purpose, or significance of something:
�� is the meaning of life? �� is the meaning of this intrusion?
Linguistics.
1. the nonlinguistic cultural correlate, reference, or denotation of a linguistic form; expression.
2. linguistic content ( expression ).

adjective

intentioned (usually used in combination):
She's a well-meaning person.
full of significance; expressive:
a meaning look.

meaning

/ ˈ��ː��ɪŋ /

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
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

expressive of some sense, intention, criticism, etc
a meaning look

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Other Word Forms

��𲹲�i�Բ�·�� adverb
��𲹲�i�Բ�·�Ա�� noun
��ܲ�·��𲹲�i�Բ� noun
�ܲ�d��·��𲹲�i�Բ� noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of meaning¹

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

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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.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He said several government departments have poor recording keeping, meaning the amount spent during some contracts might not always be updated in a timely fashion.

From

Its name comes from the Italian word pestare, meaning "to pound."

From

First recognized as a developmental disorder in 1978, autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that symptoms vary by person.

From

Surveys of butterflies are important for conservation because they are known as indicator species, meaning rises and falls in their populations can predict the health of the wider ecosystem.

From

But the disease would once again become endemic, meaning ever-present at some baseline level, like influenza, which sickens millions and kills thousands in the U.S. every year.

From

Related Words

meanie meaningful

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