1
a
: having a meaning or purpose
The tests did not produce any meaningful results.
b
: full of meaning : significant
a meaningful relationship
2
: having an assigned function in a language system
Synonyms
Example Sentences
The test did not produce any meaningful results.
She looked at him in a meaningful way.
He wanted to feel that his job was meaningful.
The trip turned out to be very meaningful for both of them.
Recent Examples on the Web
But the drug failed to improve scores on vision tests, and the modest results and safety concerns have left some eye doctors wondering how meaningful the drug will be for patients.
—
Ryan Cross, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Mar. 2023
Uygur said the category her restaurant was nominated in is especially meaningful in light of tough times during the Covid-19 pandemic.
—Marnie Hunter, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
Still, just getting a vote of confidence from Spoelstra amid a playoff race is meaningful.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2023
Her mother is Catholic and from Goa, and her father is a Muslim from Punjab; the Latin Mass is as meaningful to Esmail as her more recent studies of Hindustani singing with Oak, a vocal teacher originally from Mumbai.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2023
The list of Hornet-exclusive performance tweaks to appeal to Dodge fans is equally meaningful: Engine and transmission calibrations Steering feel Suspension tuning All interior materials are Hornet-specific, but the underlying doors, dash, screens and seat frames are shared with the Tonale.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2023
The work won’t always be easy, but the end results should be quite meaningful.
—Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2023
To be sure, the bank’s track record as a partner to entrepreneurs is meaningful, but that kind of goodwill and trust from clients can quickly evaporate in a crisis, according to experts.
—Lila Maclellan, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2023
And that was really meaningful for us.
—Steve Baltin, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘meaningful.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of meaningful was
in 1852
Dictionary Entries Near meaningful
Cite this Entry
“Meaningful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meaningful. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on meaningful
Last Updated:
31 Mar 2023
— Updated example sentences
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
многозначительный, выразительный
прилагательное ↓
- многозначительный, полный значения, смысла; выразительный
meaningful look /glance/ — многозначительный /выразительный/ взгляд 
meaningful smile — многозначительная улыбка
- значительный, существенный
meaningful constraints — существенные ограничения
meaningful agreement — важная договорённость
- содержательный
Мои примеры
Словосочетания
meaningful dialogue — важный разговор
meaningful, significant glance — многозначительный взгляд
eloquent / meaningful look — выразительный взгляд
meaningful silence — многозначительное молчание
meaningful work — важная работа
meaningful contribution — значительный вклад
meaningful information — значимая информация
meaningful data — значащая информация
conditionally meaningful — условно осмысленный
meaningful step — существенный шаг
Примеры с переводом
I want a mature and meaningful relationship.
Я хочу зрелых и осмысленных отношений.
They want a chance to do meaningful work.
Они хотят иметь возможность совершить что-то действительно важное.
He wanted to feel that his job was meaningful.
Ему хотелось чувствовать, что его работа действительно что-то значит.
She looked at him in a meaningful way.
Она многозначительно на него посмотрела.
The test did not produce any meaningful results.
Проверка не принесла каких-либо значимых результатов.
The statistics are not very meaningful when taken out of context.
Статистические данные не очень осмысленны, когда они вырваны из контекста.
Without more data we cannot make a meaningful comparison of the two systems.
Без дополнительных данных мы не можем сделать осмысленного сравнения этих двух систем.
The trip turned out to be very meaningful for both of them.
Поездка оказалась очень значимой для них обоих.
Rules must be put in a context that is meaningful to the children.
Правила должны быть помещены в контекст, понятный детям.
Teaching history to five-year-olds in a meaningful way can be very difficult.
Всерьёз преподавать историю пятилетним детям порой очень нелегко.
The crickets stridulated their everlasting monotonous meaningful note.
Сверчки исполняли свою бесконечную монотонную и многозначительную песню.
When dealing with her staff, she communicated mostly in telegraphic sentences and meaningful looks.
С подчинёнными она в основном общалась посредством рубленых фраз и выразительных взглядов.
Примеры, ожидающие перевода
Sam and Barbara exchanged meaningful glances. 
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.
Возможные однокоренные слова
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- British
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
[ mee-ning-fuhl ]
/ ˈmi nɪŋ fəl /
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
adjective
full of meaning, significance, purpose, or value; purposeful; significant: a meaningful wink;a meaningful choice.
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Origin of meaningful
First recorded in 1850–55; meaning + -ful
OTHER WORDS FROM meaningful
mean·ing·ful·ly, adverbmean·ing·ful·ness, noun
Words nearby meaningful
mean distance, meandrous, mean free path, meanie, meaning, meaningful, meaningful relationship, meaningless, mean length of utterance, mean lethal dose, mean life
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
WHEN TO USE
What are other ways to say meaningful?
Something that is meaningful, such as a meaningful wink or meaningful choice, is full of meaning, purpose, or value. Do you know how meaningful differs from the synonyms expressive, significant, and suggestive? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Words related to meaningful
consequential, essential, important, purposeful, relevant, serious, substantial, useful, valid, worthwhile, allusive, big, clear, concise, considerable, deep, eloquent, exact, explicit, expressive
How to use meaningful in a sentence
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Murray said the number of digital subscribers is in the tens of thousands range while the revenue earned from that business was not yet a meaningful portion of the publication’s overall revenue.
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She leads all rookies1 in block percentage, she’s third in effective field-goal percentage, and she’s playing meaningful minutes for a Seattle team that leads the WNBA.
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That’s why it would be important for the new agency to have a technically sophisticated staff and meaningful access to company data.
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Today’s riots, still relatively rare, roil after years of legal logjams and gridlock on meaningful policing reform.
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During the pandemic, with hooking up really off the table, we’ve really seen that accelerate a strong demand for services and apps that provide more meaningful connections.
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We have richer, healthier lives and more meaningful relationships of all kinds.
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Carla points out how meaningful it can be to have people in your life who simply understand what you’re going through.
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If they were meaningful, we might have realized it before—surely one of these kids wore a cross, or a yarmulke, or a hijab?
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He posted on Facebook about wanting to do something “right” and meaningful.
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Yet meaningful negotiations to free the hostages have failed to get off the ground.
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One may be good at organizing meaningful material but poor at remembering mere words.
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Only when bedtime came did the continued silence of his mother become meaningful.
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Then the teacher has the wonderful experience of mutual attention in which meaningful communication has taken place.
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Machismo was more meaningful to the average estate than education.
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Familiarity with the biological components of an ecosystem is essential to meaningful radiobiological assessment.
British Dictionary definitions for meaningful
adjective
having great meaning or validity
eloquent, expressivea meaningful silence
Derived forms of meaningful
meaningfully, adverbmeaningfulness, noun
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
mean·ing·ful
(mē′nĭng-fəl)
adj.
1. Having meaning, function, or purpose: a meaningful discussion.
2. Showing or conveying meaning, especially without words: a meaningful glance.
mean′ing·ful·ly adv.
mean′ing·ful·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
meaningful
(ˈmiːnɪŋfʊl)
adj
1. having great meaning or validity
2. eloquent, expressive: a meaningful silence.
ˈmeaningfully adv
ˈmeaningfulness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
mean•ing•ful
(ˈmi nɪŋ fəl)
adj.
full of meaning; purposeful; significant.
[1850–55]
mean′ing•ful•ly, adv.
mean′ing•ful•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Adj. | 1. | meaningful — having a meaning or purpose; «a meaningful explanation»; «a meaningful discussion»; «a meaningful pause»
purposeful — serving as or indicating the existence of a purpose or goal significant, important — important in effect or meaning; «a significant change in tax laws»; «a significant change in the Constitution»; «a significant contribution»; «significant details»; «statistically significant» meaningless, nonmeaningful — having no meaning or direction or purpose; «a meaningless endeavor»; «a meaningless life»; «a verbose but meaningless explanation» |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
meaningful
adjective
1. significant, important, serious, material, useful, relevant, valid, worthwhile, purposeful a meaningful and constructive dialogue
significant useless, trivial, meaningless, superficial, worthless, insignificant, senseless, unimportant, inconsequential
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
meaningful
adjective
1. Effectively conveying meaning, feeling, or mood:
2. Conveying hidden or unexpressed meaning:
3. Having great significance:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
ذو معْنى، ذو أهَميَّه
mající významsmyslsmysluplný
betydningsfuld
sokat mondó
òÿîingarmikill, mikilvægur
majúci význam
pomembenpomenljiv
anlamlımanalı
meaningful
[ˈmiːnɪŋfʊl] ADJ
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
meaningful
[ˈmiːnɪŋfʊl] adj
(= significant) [result] → significatif/ive; [dialogue] → éloquent(e); [consultation] → sérieux/euse
a meaningful event in sb’s life → un événement qui compte dans la vie de qn
[relationship] → sérieux/euse
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
meaningful
adj
(= having meaning) word, statement, symbol → mit Bedeutung; (Ling) unit → bedeutungstragend; poem, film → bedeutungsvoll; (= expressive) look, glance → bedeutungsvoll; to be meaningful → eine Bedeutung haben
(= comprehensible) advice, information, question, answer, results → sinnvoll; the statistics only become meaningful when … → die Zahlen ergeben nur dann einen Sinn, wenn …
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
meaningful
[ˈmiːnɪŋfʊl] adj (word, look) → significativo/a, eloquente; (relationship) → profondo/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
mean3
(miːn) – past tense, past participle meant (ment) – verb
1. to (intend to) express, show or indicate. `Vacation’ means `holiday’; What do you mean by (saying/doing) that?
2. to intend. I meant to go to the exhibition but forgot; For whom was that letter meant?; He means (= is determined) to be a rich man some day.
ˈmeaning noun
the sense in which a statement, action, word etc is (intended to be) understood. What is the meaning of this phrase?; What is the meaning of his behaviour?
adjective
(of a look, glance etc) showing a certain feeling or giving a certain message. The teacher gave the boy a meaning look when he arrived late.
ˈmeaningful adjective
(often used loosely) important in some way. a meaningful statement/relationship.
ˈmeaningless adjective
without meaning or reason; of no importance. meaningless chatter.
be meant to
to be required or supposed; to have to. The child is meant to be asleep!
mean well
to have good intentions. He meant well by what he said.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
meaningful
a. valioso-a, justificado-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
Use the adjective meaningful to describe something that has a purpose, like a political rally for a cause you believe in strongly.
You would probably say that your backpacking trip across Asia was meaningful, or worthwhile, but you might not describe three hours watching bad TV shows as meaningful. When something is important or significant, it is meaningful, or «full of meaning.» Meaning itself comes from the word mean, which has its roots in the Old English mænan, «to signify, tell, or complain.»
Definitions of meaningful
-
adjective
having a meaning or purpose
“a
meaningful explanation”“a
meaningful discussion”“a
meaningful pause”-
Synonyms:
-
meaty, substantive
being on topic and prompting thought
-
meaning, pregnant, significant
rich in significance or implication
-
purposeful
having meaning through having an aim
-
purposeful
serving as or indicating the existence of a purpose or goal
-
important, significant
important in effect or meaning
-
meaty, substantive
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