mean·ing
ˈmēniNG/noun: meaning; plural noun:
meanings
1. what is meant by a word, text, concept, or action.
"the meaning of the word “supermarket”
synonyms: definition, sense, explanation,
denotation,
connotation, interpretation, nuance
"the word has several different meanings"
implied or explicit significance.
"he gave me a look full of meaning"
significance, sense, signification,
import, gist, ******, drift, implication,
tenor, message, essence, substance, purport, intention
"the meaning of his remark"
expressiveness, significance, eloquence,
implications, insinuations
"his smile was full of meaning"
important or worthwhile quality; purpose.
"this can lead to new meaning in the life of older people"
value, validity, worth, consequence,
account, use, usefulness, significance, point
"my life has no meaning"
adjective: meaning
1. intended to communicate something
that is not directly expressed.
"she gave Gabriel a meaning look"
late Middle English: verbal noun from mean[1]. mēn/verb gerund or present participle: meaning
1. intend to convey, indicate, or refer to
(a particular thing or notion); signify.
"I don't know what you mean"
synonyms: signify, convey, denote, designate,
indicate, connote, show, express, spell out;
stand for, represent, symbolize; imply, suggest,
intimate, hint at, insinuate, drive at, refer to,
allude to, point to; literary:
betoken
"flashing lights mean the road is blocked"
(of a word) have (something) as its signification
in the same language
or its equivalent in another language;
"its name means “painted rock” in Cherokee"
genuinely intend to convey or express (something).
"when she said that before, she meant it"
be of some specified importance to (someone),
especially as a source of benefit or object of affection.
"animals have always meant more to him than people"
2. intend (something) to occur or be the case;
"they mean no harm"
intend, aim, plan, design,
have in mind, contemplate, purpose,
propose, set out, aspire, desire, want, wish, expect
"she didn't mean to break it"
be supposed or intended to do something.
"we were meant to go over yesterday"
design or destine for a particular purpose.
"the jacket was meant for a much larger person"
synonyms: intend, design; destine, predestine
"he was hit by a bullet meant for a soldier"
have as a motive or excuse in explanation.
"what do you mean by leaving me out here in the cold?"
synonyms: matter, be important, be significant
"this means a lot to me"
3. have as a consequence or result;
"the proposals are likely to mean another
hundred closures"
synonyms: entail, involve, necessitate, lead to,
result in, give rise to, bring about, cause,
engender, produce "the closures will mean
a rise in unemployment"
presage, portend, foretell, augur, promise,
foreshadow, herald, signal, bode;
literary: betoken
"a red sky in the morning usually means rain"
necessarily or usually entail or involve.
"coal stoves mean a lot of smoke"
Origin
Old English mænan ; related to Dutch meenen
and German meinen, from an Indo-European
root shared by mind.