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meaning
(redirected from don't know the meaning of the word)

   Also found in: Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.
mean·ing  (mnng)
n.
1. Something that is conveyed or signified; sense or significance.
2. Something that one wishes to convey, especially by language: The writer's meaning was obscured by his convoluted prose.
3. An interpreted goal, intent, or end: "The central meaning of his pontificate is to restore papal authority" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).
4. Inner significance: "But who can comprehend the meaning of the voice of the city?" (O. Henry).
adj.
1. Full of meaning; expressive.
2. Disposed or intended in a specified manner. Often used in combination: a well-meaning fellow; ill-meaning intentions.
Synonyms: meaning, acceptation, import, sense, significance, signification
These nouns refer to the idea conveyed by something, such as a word, action, gesture, or situation: Synonyms are words with the same or nearly the same meaning. In one of its acceptations value is a technical term in music. The import of his statement is ambiguous. The term anthropometry has only one sense. The significance of a green traffic light is widely understood. Linguists have determined the hieroglyphics' signification.

meaning
Noun
1. the sense or significance of a word, sentence, or symbol
2. the inner, symbolic, or true interpretation or message: the meaning of the New Testament
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.meaningmeaning - 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"
subject matter, content, message, substance - what a communication that is about something is about
lexical meaning - the meaning of a content word that depends on the nonlinguistic concepts it is used to express
grammatical meaning - the meaning of a word that depends on its role in a sentence; varies with inflectional form
symbolisation, symbolization - the use of symbols to convey meaning
signified, sense - the meaning of a word or expression; the way in which a word or expression or situation can be interpreted; "the dictionary gave several senses for the word"; "in the best sense charity is really a duty"; "the signifier is linked to the signified"
connotation, intension - what you must know in order to determine the reference of an expression
referent - something referred to; the object of a reference
gist, burden, essence, effect, core - the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work
purport, intent, spirit - the intended meaning of a communication
moral, lesson - the significance of a story or event; "the moral of the story is to love thy neighbor"
nuance, subtlety, nicety, refinement, shade - a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude; "without understanding the finer nuances you can't enjoy the humor"; "don't argue about shades of meaning"
overtone - (usually plural) an ulterior implicit meaning or quality; "overtones of despair"
point - a brief version of the essential meaning of something; "get to the point"; "he missed the point of the joke"; "life has lost its point"
2.meaning - the idea that is intended; "What is the meaning of this proverb?"
idea, thought - the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about; "it was not a good idea"; "the thought never entered my mind"
semantics - the meaning of a word, phrase, sentence, or text; "a petty argument about semantics"
implication, significance, import - a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred; "the significance of his remark became clear only later"; "the expectation was spread both by word and by implication"
tenor, strain - the general meaning or substance of an utterance; "although I disagreed with him I could follow the tenor of his argument"
undercurrent, undertone - a subdued emotional quality underlying an utterance; implicit meaning
denotation, reference, extension - the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to; "the extension of `satellite of Mars' is the set containing only Demos and Phobos"
reference - the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to; "he argued that reference is a consequence of conditioned reflexes"
connotation - an idea that is implied or suggested
Adj.1.meaning - rich in significance or implication; "a meaning look"
meaningful - having a meaning or purpose; "a meaningful explanation"; "a meaningful discussion"; "a meaningful pause"

meaning
Translations
meaning [ˈmiːnɪŋ] nsignificado, sentido
meaning [ˈmiːnɪŋ] nsignification f, sens m
meaning [ˈmiːnɪŋ] nSinn m;
(of word, gesture) → Bedeutung f
meaning [ˈmiːnɪŋ] nsignificato, senso


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