# meaning

Pronunciation: say "MEE-ning" US /ˈminɪŋ/, UK /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

## Noun

1. What a word, expression, sign, or symbol means: the idea it expresses, including the associations it suggests.
   - Simple: What a word, phrase, or sign means.
   - _Translators must capture the exact meaning of each phrase._
   - _Children gradually learn the meanings of new words through context._
3. The purpose, value, or significance of something, beyond the mere fact that it exists.
   - Simple: The purpose or value that makes something feel important.
   - _After the loss, he struggled to find meaning in everyday routines._
   - _Philosophers have long debated whether life has any inherent meaning._
4. The intention behind a person's words or actions.
   - Simple: What someone is trying to say or do.
   - _He spoke softly, but his meaning was unmistakable._
   - _She paused, choosing words that matched her true meaning._

## Verb

2. Present participle and gerund of mean. — present participle and gerund of mean
   - Simple: The -ing form of mean. Use it to name the action, or after a noun to describe it.
   - _He left the office early, meaning to beat the traffic home._
   - _Were you meaning to insult him, or was it accidental?_

## Adjective

5. Carrying an unspoken intention or significance; expressive of more than is actually said.
   - Simple: Showing a clear feeling or message without using words.
   - _A meaning silence settled over the table after his remark._
   - _She gave her sister a meaning glance when the guest arrived late._
6. Having a specified kind of intention, as expressed in compound forms like well-meaning or ill-meaning.
   - Simple: Having a certain kind of intention toward others, as in well-meaning or ill-meaning.
   - _Despite his clumsy words, he was clearly well-meaning toward the family._
   - _The committee's ill-meaning critics twisted every statement she made._

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3–4** — From Middle English mening or menyng, equivalent to mean plus -ing. It is related to Scots mening, West Frisian miening (“opinion”), Dutch mening (“view, opinion”), German Meinung (“opinion, view”), Danish and Swedish mening (“meaning, sense”), and Icelandic meining.
**Meanings 2, 5–6** — From mean plus the suffix -ing.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/meaning (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).