meaning
UK /ˈmiː.nɪŋ/ · US /ˈmi.nɪŋ/ noun, adjective
Also a form of mean
Forms meanings
- noun The denotation, referent, or idea connected with a word, expression, or symbol.
- noun The connotation associated with a word, expression, or symbol.
- noun The purpose, value, or significance (of something) beyond the fact of that thing's existence. “the meaning of life”
- noun (of a person's actions) Intention.
- adjective Having a (specified) intention.
- adjective Expressing some intention or significance; meaningful.
Synonyms
value acceptation definition parsing sense significance flavor implication import insinuation tone purport meaningfulness point purpose use aim goal intent plan signification substance pregnant significant
Antonyms
meaninglessness pointlessness purposelessness uselessness randomness
Etymology
From Middle English mening, menyng, equivalent to mean + -ing. Cognate with Scots mening (“intent, purpose, sense, meaning”), West Frisian miening (“opinion, mind”), Dutch mening (“view, opinion, judgement”), German Meinung (“opinion, view, mind, idea”), Danish and Swedish mening (“meaning, sense, sentence, opinion”), Icelandic meining (“meaning”).
From mean + -ing.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “meaning”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details