Quantcast
 
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

meanings

 - 2 dictionary results

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.
Use meanings in a Sentence
Origin:
1250–1300; ME (n.); see mean 1 , -ing 1 , -ing 2

Related forms:
mean⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
mean⋅ing⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
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. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To meanings
mean·ing   (mē'nĭng)   
n.  

  1. Something that is conveyed or signified; sense or significance.

  2. Something that one wishes to convey, especially by language: The writer's meaning was obscured by his convoluted prose.

  3. An interpreted goal, intent, or end: "The central meaning of his pontificate is to restore papal authority" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).

  4. Inner significance: "But who can comprehend the meaning of the voice of the city?" (O. Henry).

adj.  

  1. Full of meaning; expressive.

  2. Disposed or intended in a specified manner. Often used in combination: a well-meaning fellow; ill-meaning intentions.

Synonyms: These nouns refer to the idea conveyed by something, such as a word, action, gesture, or situation: Synonyms are words with the same or nearly the same meaning. In one of its acceptations value is a technical term in music. The import of his statement is ambiguous. The term anthropometry has only one sense. The significance of a green traffic light is widely understood. Linguists have determined the hieroglyphics' signification.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see meanings on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
ExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyThe Daily BeastUrbanspoonAsk AnswersBloglinesSendori