What does meaning mean?

Definitions for meaning
ˈmi nɪŋmean·ing

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word meaning.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. meaning, significance, signification, importnoun

    the message that is intended or expressed or signified

    "what is the meaning of this sentence"; "the significance of a red traffic light"; "the signification of Chinese characters"; "the import of his announcement was ambiguous"

  2. meaning, substanceadjective

    the idea that is intended

    "What is the meaning of this proverb?"

  3. meaning(a), pregnant, significantadjective

    rich in significance or implication

    "a meaning look"

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Meaningnoun

    Etymology: from mean.

    I am no honest man, if there be any good meaning toward you. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

    Some whose meaning hath at first been fair,
    Grow knaves by use, and rebels by despair. Wentworth Dillon.

    The meaning, not the name, I call: for thou,
    Not of the Muses nine. John Milton, Par. Lost, b. vii.

    These lost the sense their learning to display,
    And those explain’d the meaning quite away. Alexander Pope.

    No word more frequently in the mouths of men than conscience; and the meaning of it is, in some measure, understood: however, it is a word extremely abused by many, who apply other meanings to it which God Almighty never intended. Jonathan Swift, Miscel.

ChatGPT

  1. meaning

    Meaning is the significance, purpose, or sense conveyed by something, whether it be a word, symbol, action, concept, or experience. It involves the interpretation and understanding of the message, idea, or intention behind a specific entity, often shaped by personal, cultural, or contextual factors. Meaning gives substance and value to our existence, allowing for communication, decision-making, and the pursuit of fulfilling lives.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Meaning

    of Mean

  2. Meaningnoun

    that which is meant or intended; intent; purpose; aim; object; as, a mischievous meaning was apparent

  3. Meaningnoun

    that which is signified, whether by act lanquage; signification; sence; import; as, the meaning of a hint

  4. Meaningnoun

    sense; power of thinking

Wikidata

  1. Meaning

    In linguistics, meaning is what the source or sender expresses, communicates, or conveys in their message to the observer or receiver, and what the receiver infers from the current context.

Editors Contribution

  1. meaningnoun

    HonD or Handoo Means Sheep


    Submitted by limit_l on February 23, 2024  


  2. meaning

    Intended or known by language.

    The picture had meaning and depth, the words were very accurate and descriptive.


    Submitted by MaryC on January 31, 2020  


  3. meaning

    To intend to express or communicate.

    The picture had real meaning as she related to the power of the beautiful and loving words.


    Submitted by MaryC on January 31, 2020  

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'meaning' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1536

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'meaning' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4138

  3. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'meaning' in Nouns Frequency: #592

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce meaning?

How to say meaning in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of meaning in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of meaning in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of meaning in a Sentence

  1. Gary Lavine:

    We promulgated a rule having to do with applications for outside activity — meaning outside income. The rule requires a vote of the commission. But there was no vote on the book deal, in fact it was never presented to us. The staff took the position that no vote of the commission was necessary. I will move tomorrow to rescind the informal opinion, the grounds for rescission on the approval is the material misrepresentation that there would be no state resources used to write the book and effective its publication.

  2. Eric Leuthardt:

    We are using external circuitry, meaning that we are using this brain-computer interface and this exoskeleton which gets controlled by your brain to alter the internal circuitry.

  3. Eric Echevarria:

    It’s all about what the value [of the memorial] is or what the meaning is to you.

  4. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich:

    It’s an amusing parlor game, it has no meaning in the real world, if they want to form the let’s elect Hillary Clinton club, fine.

  5. Stephanie Drumheller:

    Allosaurus might not have been as big as T. rex, but it was no slouch as an apex predator, it was able to hyper-extend its jaw for a super-wide gape. It was a hatchet feeder like a hawk, meaning it would chop into prey with its head. It had long arms with grasping claws and a strong bite force. Track sites suggest it might have been a long-distance hunter that would follow herds for miles to pick off prey.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

meaning#1#2764#10000

Translations for meaning

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"meaning." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 24 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/meaning>.

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