meaning

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, true, underlying
▪ correct
▪ original
▪ double, hidden
▪

There's often a double meaning in jokes and riddles.

▪

I'm sure there's no hidden meaning in what he says.

▪ figurative, metaphorical, symbolic
▪ cultural
▪

He explores the deeper cultural meaning of ‘home’.

▪ literal
VERB + MEANING
▪ comprehend, get, grasp, understand
▪

I can't grasp the meaning of this quotation.

▪ decipher, interpret, work out
▪

Historians are trying to decipher the meaning of the documents.

▪ explore, ponder
▪

The movie ends with scenes that are supposed to leave us pondering its meaning.

▪ assign, attach, attribute, discern
▪

She assigns a meaning to his words they just didn't have.

▪ clarify, explain
▪

The copy editor uses her skill to clarify the meaning.

▪ redefine
▪

That night redefined the meaning of the word ‘love’ to him.

▪ alter, change, distort
▪

These translation errors alter the meaning of the sentence.

▪ misinterpret, misunderstand
▪

I think you misunderstood my meaning.

▪ determine
▪

The context largely determines the meaning.

▪ bear, carry, have
▪

Some of the symbols carry meaning and some just represent sounds.

▪

a word that has more than one meaning

▪ acquire, take on
▪

The word ‘gay’ took on its modern meaning in the 1960s.

▪ communicate, convey, express
PREPOSITION
▪ in a/the meaning
▪

ambiguity in the meaning of a phrase

▪ with a/the meaning
▪

I am using the word with its original meaning.

▪ meaning behind
▪

the meaning behind an event

PHRASES
▪ a nuance of meaning, a shade of meaning
▪

It is difficult for a non-Italian to grasp all the nuances of meaning.

2 purpose/importance
ADJECTIVE
▪ deep, real, true
▪

She's searching for the deeper meaning of life.

▪ spiritual
▪

He found spiritual meaning through religion.

▪ intrinsic
▪

For him, art held little intrinsic meaning.

VERB + MEANING
▪ have
▪

Her work no longer had any meaning for her.

▪ acquire
▪

As parents, our lives acquired new meaning.

▪ find
▪ lose
▪

After his death, she felt life had lost all meaning.

▪ give
▪

Falling in love gave meaning to his life.

▪ contemplate, explore, ponder
▪

You can't sit around contemplating the meaning of life all day.

PREPOSITION
▪ without meaning
▪

Young people can feel that life is without meaning.


Collocations dictionary. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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