inkling

noun

in·​kling ˈiŋ-kliŋ 

1

: a slight knowledge or vague notion

had not the faintest inkling of what it was all about

—H. W. Carter

2

: a slight indication or suggestion : hint, clue

there was no path—no inkling even of a track

—New Yorker

Did you know?

This may come as a surprise, but inkling has not a drop to do with ink, whether of squid, tattoo, or any other variety. Originating in English in the early 16th century, inkling comes instead from Middle English yngkiling, meaning “whisper or mention,” and perhaps further back from the verb inclen, meaning “to hint at.” An early sense of the word meant “a faint perceptible sound or undertone” or “rumor,” but now people usually use the word to refer to a vague notion someone has (“had an inkling they would be there”), or to a hint of something present (“a conversation with not even an inkling of anger”). One related word you might not have heard of is the rare verb inkle, a back-formation of inkling that in some British English dialects can mean “to utter or communicate in an undertone or whisper, to hint, give a hint of” or “to have an idea or notion of.” (Inkle is also a noun referring to “a colored linen tape or braid woven on a very narrow loom and used for trimming” but etymologists don’t have an inkling of where that inkle came from.)

Synonyms

• clue
• cue
• hint
• indication
• intimation
• lead
• suggestion

Examples of inkling in a Sentence

did not give the slightest inkling that he was planning to quit

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, the interior marks a big step up from lower-spec Rangers, with sportier seats that further contribute to the inkling that Ford purposefully tried to outpace Chevrolet’s Colorado. —Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024

By now almost everybody has at least an inkling that Jelly Roll has become one of the biggest superstars of country music in the past two years. —Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2024

The first inklings for PowerSwitch came in 2021, when the group discussed drivers’ problems with the Action Center on Race and the Economy (ACRE) and other groups. —Tatiana Walk-Morris, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2024

If so, director/co-screenwriter Jason Reitman’s harried fictional account gives you an inkling on the time-ticking chaos of that night. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English yngkiling whisper, mention, probably from inclen to hint at; akin to Old English inca suspicion

First Known Use

1513, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

inkling

noun

in·​kling ˈiŋ-kliŋ 

: a vague notion : hint

didn't have an inkling of what it all meant