mention

noun men·tion \ ˈmen(t)-shən \

|Updated on: 18 Jul 2018

Definition of mention

1 : the act or an instance of citing or calling attention to someone or something especially in a casual or incidental manner

There was hardly a mention of the plan's possible dangers.

2 : formal citation (see citation 3) for outstanding achievement

The journalist received special mention for her reportage on the recent advances in cancer research.

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Examples of mention in a Sentence

In her speech, she carefully avoided any mention of her costar.
There was barely a mention of the plan's possible dangers.
The mere mention of blood makes me ill.
I get nervous at the mention of his name.
Her contributions deserve a mention.
One other issue deserves special mention.

Recent Examples of mention from the Web

Evidence of this includes the mention of state election boards and other non-federal institutions in the document, and its scope, which in essence is a legal attempt to hold the Russian state accountable for wide-ranging intelligence activities.

— peter grier, The Christian Science Monitor, "What new Mueller indictments say about his direction," 13 July 2018
The list includes a mention of the Fix NICS Act, a bill Cornyn pushed to close gaps in the national gun database that is meant to prevent people who are barred from having guns from purchasing them.

— jeremy wallace, Houston Chronicle, "John Cornyn uses Hillary Clinton as a foil in taxpayer funded video touting GOP victories," 5 July 2018
There was no mention of last week's embarrassing jacket hullabaloo.

— gregory korte, USA TODAY, "First lady Melania Trump wears palazzo pants, but no snarky jacket, on new border visit," 28 June 2018
Chinese state media quoted Xi as hailing the warming friendship with Kim but included no mention of any specific discussions on making progress on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

— christopher bodeen, BostonGlobe.com, "Kim leaves China as S. Korea urges ‘concrete’ plan on nukes," 20 June 2018
Monday’s State Department statement, meanwhile, made no mention of any repercussions from the U.S. or anyone else.

— matthew lee and josh lederman, The Seattle Times, "US seen backing away from Syria de-escalation enforcement," 26 June 2018
The Lords’ final report, released in April, made no mention of the relationships between pollsters and hedge funds.

— cam simpson, Bloomberg.com, "Brexit’s Big Short: How Pollsters Helped Hedge Funds Beat the Crash," 25 June 2018
However, at the mention of Vestmannaeyjar, his face changes.

— james masters, CNN, "'It's in blood, the nature and the culture.' Iceland's hard World Cup work pays off," 15 June 2018
The crowd responded at the mention of 2005, initially offering polite applause.

— howard fendrich, Houston Chronicle, "This one goes to 11: Rafael Nadal beats Dominic Thiem for French Open title," 11 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of mention

Middle English mencioun, from Anglo-French mencion, from Latin mention-, mentio; akin to Latin meminisse to remember, ment-, mens mind

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

mention Synonyms

Synonyms

acknowledgment (or acknowledgement), citation, commendation;

Related Words

decoration, medal, ribbon;

accolade, award, honor, kudo, prize, tribute;

dedication;

mention

verb

Definition of mention

mentioned; mentioning play \ˈmen(t)-sh(ə-)niŋ\

transitive verb

: to make mention of : refer to; also : to cite for outstanding achievement

—

mentionable

play \ˈmen(t)-sh(ə-)nə-bəl\ adjective

—

mentioner

play \-sh(ə-)nər\ noun

— not to mention

: not even yet counting or considering : and notably in addition

a proposal that's risky and expensive, not to mention unethical

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Examples of mention in a Sentence

She's never mentioned anything to me about her husband.
I get nervous every time his name is mentioned.
They mentioned him by name.
I believe I mentioned the problem to you last week.
Most history books don't even mention the event.
As previously mentioned, his proposal has been widely criticized.
He fails to mention, however, the seriousness of the crime.
She mentioned that she would be out of the office the following day.

Recent Examples of mention from the Web

More so than almost any other player on their current roster, Scott has the youth and potential — not to mention a fastball that has bumped up past 100 mph this summer — to carve out his role as a cornerstone bullpen piece in Baltimore.

— jon meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Tanner Scott can't close the door, and Orioles open series with 5-4 loss to Rangers," 14 July 2018
That being said, France is too strong in the attacking third, not to mention the advantage at the goalkeeper position with Hugo Lloris.

— usa today sports, USA TODAY, "World Cup final predictions: Will France or Croatia lift the trophy?," 13 July 2018
Justus Sheffield, New York Yankees Acquired in the 2016 deal that put Andrew Miller on the Indians, Sheffield has been and will continue to be mentioned in trade talk approaching the 2018 deadline.

— ted berg, For The Win, "7 MLB prospects to watch at the 2018 Futures Game," 13 July 2018
Visitors have to mention the discount at the ticket booth.

— johnny diaz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Flipper the dolphin calls World Cup winner in Miami," 13 July 2018
But Trump neglects to mention that the 2 percent spending deadline isn’t until 2024.

— andrew malcolm, SFChronicle.com, "Will Trump stand up to Putin or fall for him?," 12 July 2018
The Kimmel had considered installing cup holders as part of the new-seating project, a feature which, presumably, would have encouraged beverage consumption — not to mention boosted concession sales figures — at Broadway shows.

— peter dobrin, Philly.com, "Academy of Music is replacing its lumpy old seats - and, no, you're not getting cup holders," 12 July 2018
Meanwhile, outrage seeps through the pores of talk-show hosts, and award-show emcees, and sketch shows, and stand-up comics, not to mention the most explicitly political performances on cable news.

— derek thompson, The Atlantic, "Win a Game Show, Pay Off Your Student Debt," 12 July 2018
Considering the McAbees hail from Florida, key lime pie is obviously the eatery’s signature pie, not to mention the best seller.

— james patrick kelly, idahostatesman, "Boise Pie Co. shows its Southern roots, bakes up delicious desserts," 12 July 2018

Origin and Etymology of mention

see ¹mention

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1530

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

mention Synonyms

Synonyms

advert (to), cite, drop, instance, name, note, notice, quote, refer (to), specify, touch (on or upon);

Near Antonyms

disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight;

point (out), signal, signify;

denominate, designate;

indicate;

bring up, broach, interject, interpolate, interpose, introduce;

infiltrate, insinuate, worm;

advertise, announce, broadcast, declare, proclaim, pronounce, publicize, publish, sound;

MENTION Defined for English Language Learners

mention

noun

Definition of mention for English Language Learners

: a short statement about something or someone : an act of mentioning something or someone

mention

verb

Definition of mention for English Language Learners

: to talk about, write about, or refer to (something or someone) especially in a brief way
: to refer to or suggest (someone) as having a possible role or status