intimation

noun

in·​ti·​ma·​tion ˌin-tə-ˈmā-shən 

plural intimations

: an indirect, usually subtle suggestion, indication, or hint

intimations that she may retire from teaching next year

It can be any time from the earliest intimation of fall, when wetland maples turn a searing red, to the third week of October, when gaudy leaves carpet the forest floor.

—Madeline Drexler

They bored me stiff but George had expertise and gave occasional intimations of power in reserve.

—Tobias Wolff

Synonyms of intimation

• indication
• clue
• hint
• cue
• suggestion

Examples of intimation in a Sentence

the newscaster could not resist giving a slight intimation that the voting was going contrary to predictions

Recent Examples on the Web

Hints of coffee and confectioner’s chocolate hit the palate alongside baking spice and maybe even an intimation of caraway in its rather rapid finish. —Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 19 Jan. 2026

The only downside of the intimation of human presence is confronting the reality that the other person is not present after all. —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026

The official announcement did not mention any such official plans, but there are intimations that some type of bundling could be part of the strategy in the future. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 5 Dec. 2025

The very strong intimation is that I was nourished by this wasteland. —George Caulkin, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for intimation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation