Definition of meaning

competent Definition: (adjective) having the skill and knowledge needed for a particular task; capable Petersons.com

Add Word of the Day to your personalized My Yahoo! page: About My Yahoo! and RSS »

Email this page to a friend

< meanie

meaningful >

mean·ing    (mnng) KEY  

NOUN:

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).

ADJECTIVE:

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.

Visit our partner's site

	Provided by Houghton Mifflin eReference -- Download this interactive reference software to your desktop computer

Search Dictionary:

More on Yahoo! Education

• Online and On-Campus Degree Programs     MBAs  -  Technology Management  -  Education  -  Health  -  More  • College & Grad School - A Comprehensive Guide     College Search  -  Test Prep  -  Application Tips  -  Scholarship Search