DIMENSIONS: EVALUATION / Perspective
R E F E R E N C E S
Meaning n. 1. that which is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import. 2. the end, purpose, or significance of something: What is the meaning of life? -adj. 3. intentioned [usually used in combination]: She's a well-meaning person. 4. full of significance; expressive: a meaning look. [ME (n.)]
-Syn. 1. tenor, gist, drift, trend. Meaning, Purport, Sense, Significance denote that which is expressed or indicated by something. Meaning is the general word denoting that which is intended to be or actually is expressed or indicated: the meaning of a word. Purport is mainly limited to the meaning of a formal document, speech, important conversation, etc., and refers to the gist of something fairly complicated: the purport of his letter to the editor. Sense may be used to denote one particular meaning of a word or phrase: The word is frequently used in this sense. Sense may also be used loosely to refer to intelligible meaning: There's no sense in what he says. Significance refers particularly to a meaning that is implied rather than expressed: the significance of her glance; or to a meaning the importance of which may not be easy to perceive immediately: The real significance of his words was not grasped at the time.
Meaningful adj . full of meaning; significant.
Meaningless adj. without meaning, significance, or value; purposeless.
[Urdang, Laurence, ed. Random House Dictionary of The English Language. New York: Random House,1968.]
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