mean ‧ ing S2 W1 /ˈmiːnɪŋ/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ meaningful , ↑ meaningless ; verb : ↑ mean ; noun : ↑ meaning ; adverb : ↑ meaningfully ]
1 . OF A WORD/SIGN ETC [uncountable and countable] the thing or idea that a word, expression, or sign represents
meaning of
I don’t know the precise meaning of the word ‘gleaned’.
2 . IDEAS IN SPEECH/BOOK ETC [uncountable and countable] the thoughts or ideas that someone wants you to understand from what they say, do, write etc
meaning of
The meaning of her words was clear. We’d lost our jobs.
meaning behind
She hardly dared to understand the meaning behind his statement.
3 . what’s the meaning of this? spoken used to demand an explanation:
What’s the meaning of this? I asked you to be here an hour ago!
4 . PURPOSE/SPECIAL QUALITY [uncountable] the quality that makes life, work etc seem to have a purpose or value:
Life seemed to have lost its meaning since Janet’s death.
Her studies no longer seemed to have any meaning.
For many people it is religion that gives meaning to their existence.
5 . TRUE NATURE [uncountable] the true nature and importance of something
meaning of
We seem to have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.
6 . (not) know the meaning of something to have, or not have, experience and understanding of a particular situation or feeling:
Living in a war zone, the children knew the meaning of fear.
Guilty! She doesn’t know the meaning of the word!
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ verbs
▪ have a meaning
The same word may have several different meanings.
▪ take on a meaning (=begin to have a new meaning)
The word ‘chaos’ has taken on a special scientific meaning.
▪ understand the meaning
The pictures help the children understand the meanings of the words.
▪ know the meaning
Do you know the meaning of the word ‘paraphrase’?
▪ get sb’s meaning ( also take sb’s meaning British English ) (=understand what someone is saying in an indirect way)
He’s not like other people, if you get my meaning.
▪ grasp the meaning (=begin to understand the meaning)
She suddenly grasped the meaning of his frantic gestures.
▪ carry meaning ( also bear a meaning formal ) (=have a meaning)
In conversation, even a pause may carry meaning.
▪ convey meaning (=express a meaning)
the use of hand signals to convey meaning
■ adjectives
▪ precise/specific/exact
The term ‘stress’ has a precise meaning to an engineer.
▪ a hidden meaning
She felt there was a hidden meaning behind his words.
▪ a double meaning (=two meanings at the same time)
Everything he said had a double meaning.
▪ the literal meaning
The literal meaning of ‘telephone’ is ‘far-away sound’.
▪ the ordinary meaning
They are a 'nuisance' in the ordinary meaning, not the legal meaning, of that word.
▪ the figurative/metaphorical meaning (=different from its usual or basic meaning)
The expression has a metaphorical meaning.
▪ sb’s/sth’s true meaning
Children understand the true meaning of these words.
▪ a symbolic meaning (=representing an idea)
Colours often have symbolic meanings; for example, black signifies grief in Western cultures.
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THESAURUS
■ Sense 2
▪ meaning the thoughts or ideas that someone wants you to understand from what they say, do, write etc:
What do you think is the meaning of the poem?
▪ the gist the main idea and meaning of something such as an article or a speech:
Read the story quickly first, just to get the gist of it.
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I think I understand the gist of what you’re saying.
▪ the drift/your drift the main set of ideas involved in something such as an explanation, argument, or account of something – often used when the ideas are not stated directly:
The drift of his letter is that he wants to come back.
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I don’t quite follow your drift.
▪ the essence the most important meaning of something such as an argument or piece of writing:
The essence of what he is saying is that human character is formed by society.
▪ the thrust the most important message of an argument, explanation etc, especially when it consists of a set of connected ideas leading to a final answer or idea:
The overall thrust of her argument is that we need to do more to protect our environment.
▪ the substance formal the most important ideas contained in an argument or piece of writing:
The substance of Marx’s views is the same in both of these books.
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His article lacks substance (=there are no interesting or important ideas in it) .
▪ the implication the meaning of what someone says, writes etc that is not stated directly, but that people are expected to understand:
The implication was that they did not consider Harrison to be trustworthy.