meaning

noun mean·ing \ ˈmē-niŋ \

1 a : the thing one intends to convey especially by language : purport

Do not mistake my meaning.

b : the thing that is conveyed especially by language : import

Many words have more than one meaning.

2 : something meant or intended : aim

a mischievous meaning was apparent

3 : significant quality; especially : implication of a hidden or special significance

a glance full of meaning

4 a : the logical connotation of a word or phrase

b : the logical denotation or extension of a word or phrase

See meaning defined for English-language learners

See meaning defined for kids

Examples of meaning in a Sentence

What is the precise meaning of this word in English?
an old word that has taken on a new meaning
The word has both literal meanings and figurative meanings.
a word with various shades of meaning
Don't distort her meaning by taking her words out of context.
I didn't understand the meaning of his remark.
Literary critics disagree about the meanings of his poems.
a poem with subtle shades of meaning
What is the meaning of life?
It's a story about the true meaning of Christmas.

Recent Examples of meaning from the Web

Motorcycle sales accordingly went up, as people tried to reconnect with the true meaning of speed.

— A-LIST, "The Quest to be Quick," 24 Dec. 2017
As the story unfolds, the past catches up to the present and Mr. Sorkin keeps trying to invest Molly’s story with meaning, mostly through a little family psychodrama and some deeply unpersuasive feminism, including by casting her as a victim of men.

— manohla dargis, New York Times, "Review: The Big and Minor Stakes of ‘Molly’s Game’," 24 Dec. 2017
Each of these ornaments holds a special meaning to me about that person.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "If you’re a fan of Christmas, you’ll love this year’s theme by a distinctive decorator," 22 Dec. 2017
The Boston Celtics added new meaning to stealing a win on the road.

— For The Win, "Pacers give away game in crazy final sequence," 19 Dec. 2017
Yet, each of you can rejoice in the beauty and true meaning of the season.

— Columbia Flier, "The meaning of Christmas and season’s beauty [Letter]," 12 Dec. 2017
In general, the nature or meaning of the information being delivered does not matter all that much, as long as some attention is being paid.

— The Economist, "Less Euromaidan, more GamergateOnce considered a boon to democracy, social media have started to look like its nemesis," 4 Nov. 2017
Unraveling the meaning of the mummies therefore has the potential to reveal some of the deepest mysteries of a mysterious people.

— jonathon keats, Discover Magazine, "The Animal Mummy Business," 10 Nov. 2017
The teen's mother says understanding the meaning of just one word the boy said could have stopped this whole situation, reports CBS News' Jamie Yuccas.

— CBS News, "Family of autistic teen mistakenly tackled by police calls for better training," 21 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'meaning.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of meaning

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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meaning Synonyms

Synonyms

content, denotation, drift, import, intent, intention, purport, sense, significance, signification;

Related Words

connotation;

clue, cue, hint, implication, indication, inkling, intimation, suggestion;

message, tenor, theme;

bottom, essence, essentiality, nature, soul, spirit, stuff;

acceptance, acceptation, definition;

burden, crux, gist;

core, heart, kernel, marrow, nub, nucleus, pith, point, quick;

meaning

adjective

somewhat old-fashioned

: conveying or intended to convey meaning : significant, meaningful

a meaning smile

When any mention was made of baronets either married or unmarried, of former lovers, of broken vows, or of second engagements, Miss Altifiorla would look with a meaning glance at her hostess.
— Anthony Trollope

Ruby lifted her heavy-lidded eyes and sent him a meaning look.
—Edna Ferber

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meaningly

play \ˈmē-niŋ-lē\ adverb

- She said: "I am not a very plucky girl." She looked up at me and added meaningly: "And you know it. And you know why."
- —Joseph Conrad
- "I have come about a private matter," he said, looking meaningly at Betty, who got up and began to move toward the door.
- —P. G. Wodehouse