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MEANINGNESS

 - 1 dictionary result

mean⋅ing

[mee-ning]
–noun
1. what is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import: the three meanings of a word.
2. the end, purpose, or significance of something: What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of this intrusion?
3. Linguistics.
a. the nonlinguistic cultural correlate, reference, or denotation of a linguistic form; expression.
b. linguistic content (opposed to expression ).
–adjective
4. intentioned (usually used in combination): She's a well-meaning person.
5. full of significance; expressive: a meaning look.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME (n.); see mean 1 , -ing 1 , -ing 2


mean⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
mean⋅ing⋅ness, noun


1. tenor, gist, drift, trend. Meaning, purport, sense, significance denote that which is expressed or indicated by something. Meaning is the general word denoting that which is intended to be or actually is expressed or indicated: the meaning of a word or glance. Sense may be used to denote a particular meaning (among others) of a word or phrase: The word is frequently used in this sense. Sense may also be used loosely to refer to intelligible meaning: There's no sense in what he says. Significance refers particularly to a meaning that is implied rather than expressed: the significance of her glance; or to a meaning the importance of which may not be easy to perceive immediately: The real significance of his words was not grasped at the time. Purport is mainly limited to the meaning of a formal document, speech, important conversation, etc., and refers to the gist of something fairly complicated: the purport of your letter to the editor.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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