meaning (ˈmiːnɪŋ
)
Definitions
noun
- the sense or significance of a word, sentence, symbol, etc; import; semantic or lexical content
- the purpose underlying or intended by speech, action, etc
- the inner, symbolic, or true interpretation, value, or message ⇒
the meaning of a dream
- valid content; efficacy ⇒
a law with little or no meaning
- philosophy
- the sense of an expression; its connotation
- the reference of an expression; its denotation. In recent philosophical writings meaning can be used in both the above senses See also sense (sense 12)
adjective
- expressive of some sense, intention, criticism, etc ⇒
a meaning look
See also
well-meaningSynonyms
View thesaurus entry1mean1 (miːn)
Definitions
verb
Word forms: means, meaning, meant
(mainly tr) - (may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to intend to convey or express
- (may take a clause as object or an infinitive) intend ⇒
she didn't mean to hurt it
- (may take a clause as object) to say or do in all seriousness ⇒
the boss means what he says about strikes
- (often passive) often foll by for to destine or design (for a certain person or purpose) ⇒
she was meant for greater things
- (may take a clause as object) to denote or connote; signify; represent ⇒
examples help show exactly what a word means
- (may take a clause as object) to produce; cause ⇒
the weather will mean long traffic delays
- (may take a clause as object) to foretell; portend ⇒
those dark clouds mean rain
- to have the importance of ⇒
money means nothing to him
- (intr) to have the intention of behaving or acting (esp in the phrases mean well to have the intention of behaving or acting (esp in the phrases or mean ill)
- See mean business
Word Origin
Old English mænan; compare Old Saxon mēnian to intend, Dutch meenenSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
signify,
say,
suggest,
indicate,
represent,
express,
stand for,
convey,
spell out,
purport,
symbolize,
denote,
connote,
betoken,
=
imply,
suggest,
intend,
indicate,
refer to,
intimate,
get at,
hint at,
have in mind
drive at,
allude to
insinuate,
=
result in,
cause,
produce,
effect,
lead to
involve,
bring about,
give rise to,
entail,
engender,
necessitate,
Translations
- British English:
meaning
The meaning of something such as a word, symbol, or gesture is the thing that it refers to or the message that it conveys....two words with similar meanings.ˈmiːnɪŋ NOUN ...two words with similar meanings.
- Spanish:
significado
nm
- French:
signification
nf
- German:
Bedeutung
nf
- Chinese: 含意 n
- Arabic: مَعْنَى n
- Portuguese: significado nm
- Russian: значение nnt
- Croatian: značenje nnt
- Czech: význam nm
- Danish: betydning nutr
- Dutch: betekenis nf
- Finnish: merkitys n
- Greek: σημασία nf
- Italian: significato nm
- Japanese: 意味 n
- Korean: 뜻 n
- Norwegian: betydning nm
- Polish: znaczenie nnt
- Brazilian Portuguese: significado nm
- European Spanish:
significado
nm
- Swedish: betydelse nutr
- Thai: ความหมาย n
- Turkish: anlam n
- Vietnamese: ý nghĩa n
Usage examples
Kershaw caught her by the wrist and shook his head at her with some meaning in his eyes.
, INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS (2002)Run DMC: Christmas in Hollis They decide not to rob Santa and discover the true meaning of Christmas: Benjamins!
Maxim (2004)Its name derives from an aboriginal word meaning "the sound of waves breaking over rocks.
Globe and Mail (2003)she said, meaning boy livestock, I presume, not actual boy humans.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Different experiences lead to neural connections, the physiological substrate of the meaning structure in the brain, being set up.
, BEYOND FEAR (2002)