1
as in sense
the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action
the unmistakable meaning of the skier's upraised arms as he finished his spectacular run
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in purpose
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
the people have a right to know what the president's meaning is in getting the nation involved in this war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in suggestive
clearly conveying a special meaning (as one's mood)
gave me a meaning look after I said that
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in denoting
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
the national anthem means various things to various people
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in weighing
to be of importance
your presence at my graduation would mean a lot to me
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in planning
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
I mean to win this race
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in indicating
to serve as a sign or symptom of
these colder nights mean autumn has truly arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of meaning
Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 6 May 2026
Sometimes objects collect more and more layers of meaning as they get passed down through generations.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
For Robell Awake, the chair is a meaning-laden object, symbolic of rest, a stand-in for the human body, a reflection of historical power dynamics.
—Felicia Feaster, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 8 May 2026
Two officials stood above the players, with one signaling touchdown (meaning Tate caught the ball, Seattle wins) and the other signaling touchback (meaning Jennings caught the ball, Green Bay wins).
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for meaning
Noun
Allen relies on these materials to carry meaning for him as an artist, but the works simply don’t have much to say.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 6 May 2026
Sometimes objects collect more and more layers of meaning as they get passed down through generations.
—Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Adjective
To see you as a newborn child and then to look at you and to know that every step along the way, to witness that journey, is the most meaning aspect of my life.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
For Robell Awake, the chair is a meaning-laden object, symbolic of rest, a stand-in for the human body, a reflection of historical power dynamics.
—Felicia Feaster, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
The court said early voting is legally part of the election, meaning the process had already begun before lawmakers acted.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 8 May 2026
Two officials stood above the players, with one signaling touchdown (meaning Tate caught the ball, Seattle wins) and the other signaling touchback (meaning Jennings caught the ball, Green Bay wins).
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for meaning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meaning
Noun
-
The Pisces Moon sharpens intuition and helps subtle signals make sense.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Slowing its introduction makes no more sense than efforts to delay electrification would’ve made in the 1880s.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
This approach builds upon the original intent of the Donohoe Act, which began with positive goals but did not fully achieve its purpose.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
The city has banned an arm in common use for lawful purposes by law-abiding citizens.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
But, in historic gold-rush regions, prospectors use it to identify disturbances in the landscape that are suggestive of former mining operations, in the hope of finding overlooked stores.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
For another example of the interpretive and suggestive quality of verbs, let’s look at Patricia Highsmith’s The Two Faces of January.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The new jet also features 13 stars denoting the 13 original colonies on its fuselage, the main body of an aircraft, and a circle of stars on each engine cowling, or covering, reflecting the original Betsy Ross flag and an America250 decal on the nose and winglet.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But our understanding of pedantry, denoting the sticklerishness of academic specialists and grammar obsessives, is a relatively narrow one.—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sam Houston, weighing 285 pounds and standing 3 feet tall, is the seventh calf born at the zoo, staff said in a news release Wednesday.—
Harriet Ramos
May 7,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
Sulfate-free formulas and ingredients like aloe vera, hydrolyzed proteins, shea butter, and lightweight oils boost moisture without weighing strands down.—
Aimee Simeon,
Glamour,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
An hour before Hitchcock's execution, Texas is planning to put James Broadnax to death for the 2008 double murder of two Christian music producers in the Dallas suburb of Garland.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Countries across the Gulf have arrested scores of people during the war, on charges ranging from posting images of wartime damage, to planning terrorist attacks with Iran.—
Dominic Dudley,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The report says investigators found five casings outside the room, indicating this is one place the assailant stopped and reloaded.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
-
Now, in his fourth week checking the hawk’s nest on OC Parks’ land managed by the Irvine Ranch Conservancy, Gough noticed the color change, indicating the chicks are molting their feathers, doing well, and growing.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
The water is colored by the tamarack tree, kind of a root-beer color, which is a beautiful balance to all the greens — and just the metaphorical symbolic significance of it is really profound.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
-
That story was told in the studio by Professor Julian Huxley, an evolutionary biologist, who used pickled wildlife specimens and a photograph of a coelacanth to explain the fish’s significance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meaning. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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