meaning

meaning
I UK [ˈmiːnɪŋ] / US [ˈmɪnɪŋ] noun
Word forms "meaning":
singular meaning plural meanings
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1) [countable/uncountable] the thing, action, feeling, idea etc that a word or words represent

Move this word and you change the meaning of the sentence.

get/catch someone's meaning (= understand what they are saying):

I'm not sure I get your meaning.

layers/shades of meaning (= different meanings that are not obvious):

Examine the writing closely, and you discover multiple layers of meaning.

a) the ideas that signs, symbols, or ways of behaving represent

It seems that the clothes have a deep religious meaning.

b) the ideas that writers, artists, musicians etc try to express in their work

This poem's real meaning has always been a puzzle.

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Collocations:
Adjectives frequently used with meaning
▪  actual, deep, hidden, intended, literal, real, symbolic, true Verbs frequently used with meaning as the object ▪  catch, decipher, determine, discover, get, grasp, understand
2) [singular/uncountable] the special importance or purpose of something
meaning of:

The book tackles important questions, such as the meaning of life.

meaning to:

There didn't seem to be any meaning to her work.

meaning for:

Religion has little meaning for many people today.

something loses its meaning:

Times change and ancient customs lose their meaning.

•

know/not know the meaning of something — informal used for emphasizing how much or how little you understand something

Hungry? You don't know the meaning of hunger.

what's the meaning of this? — used for angrily asking why someone has done something that you do not approve of


II UK [ˈmiːnɪŋ] / US [ˈmɪnɪŋ] adjective [only before noun] old-fashioned
communicating a feeling or intention very clearly

English dictionary. 2014.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • meaning — meaning, sense, acceptation, signification, significance, import are comparable when they denote the idea which something (as a word, a passage, a facial expression, an action, or a situation) conveys to the mind or is intended to convey to the… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • meaning — meaning, meaningful action It would be difficult to imagine any sociological study which did not, implicitly or explicitly, look at how people think about the social world and social relationships in other words at the meanings that the social… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • Meaning — Mean ing, n. 1. That which is meant or intended; intent; purpose; aim; object; as, a mischievous meaning was apparent. [1913 Webster] If there be any good meaning towards you. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. That which is signified, whether by act… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • meaning — I noun acceptation, connotation, content, definition, denotation, drift, explanation, idea, import, interpretation, purport, semantics, semasiology, sense, sententia, significance, significatio, signification, substance, tenor, text, vis… …   Law dictionary

  • meaning — [mē′niŋ] n. 1. what is meant; what is intended to be, or in fact is, signified, indicated, referred to, or understood; signification, purport, import, sense, or significance [the meaning of a word] 2. Archaic intention; purpose adj. 1. that has… …   English World dictionary

  • meaning — [n1] message, signification acceptation, allusion, bearing, bottom line*, connotation, content, context, definition, denotation, drift, effect, essence, explanation, force, gist, heart*, hint, implication, import, interpretation, intimation, meat …   New thesaurus

  • meaning — (n.) sense, import, intent, c.1300, from MEAN (Cf. mean) (v.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • meaning — ► NOUN 1) what is meant by a word, idea, or action. 2) worthwhile quality; purpose. ► ADJECTIVE ▪ expressive …   English terms dictionary

  • meaning — noun 1 what sth means ADJECTIVE ▪ clear, exact, precise ▪ The context makes the meaning clear. ▪ What is the exact meaning of this phrase? ▪ intended …   Collocations dictionary

  • Meaning — (Roget s Thesaurus) >Idea to be conveyed. >Thing signified. < N PARAG:Meaning >N GRP: N 1 Sgm: N 1 meaning meaning Sgm: N 1 signification signification significance Sgm: N 1 sense sense expression Sgm: N 1 import import …   English dictionary for students

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