Definitions for meaning
ˈmi nɪŋmean·ing

Princeton's WordNet(3.17 / 6 votes)Rate this definition:

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(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Meaningnoun

   Etymology: from mean.

   1. Purpose; intention.

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

   2. Habitual intention.

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

   3. The sense; the thing understood.

   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.

Webster Dictionary(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

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

Freebase(4.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

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(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. 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  

2. ---

   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

1. • Message

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

How to pronounce meaning?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

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. Charles Monroe Schultz:

   My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure it out. What am I doing right

2. Mark Hamill:

   I will say that comic books are not the easiest things to translate to film, number one. Even the most well meaning of filmmakers find what's acceptable on the printed page is very difficult to bring to film.

3. Erich Fromm:

   The quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning. Uncertainty is the very condition to impel man to unfold his powers.

4. Viktor Frankl:

   Challenging the meaning of life is the truest expression of the state of being human.

5. John Macy:

   The wisest keeps something of the vision of a child. Though he may understand a thousand things that a child could not understand, he is always a beginner, close to the original meaning of life.

Popularity rank by frequency of use