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noun
1.
what is intended to be, or actually is, expressed or indicated; signification; import:
the three meanings of a word.
2.
the end, purpose, or significance of something:
What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of this intrusion?
3.
Linguistics.

the nonlinguistic cultural correlate, reference, or denotation of a linguistic form; expression.
linguistic content (opposed to expression).

adjective
4.
intentioned (usually used in combination):
She’s a well-meaning person.
5.
full of significance; expressive:
a meaning look.
verb (used with object), meant, meaning.
1.
to have in mind as one’s purpose or intention; intend:
I meant to compliment you on your work.
Synonyms: contemplate.
2.
to intend for a particular purpose, destination, etc.:
They were meant for each other.
Synonyms: destine, foreordain.
3.
to intend to express or indicate:
What do you mean by “liberal”?
4.
to have as its sense or signification; signify:
The word “freedom” means many things to many people.
Synonyms: denote, indicate; import, imply, connote.
5.
to bring, cause, or produce as a result:
This bonus means that we can take a trip to Florida.
6.
to have (certain intentions) toward a person:
He didn’t mean you any harm.
7.
to have the value of; assume the importance of:
Money means everything to them. She means the world to him.
verb (used without object), meant, meaning.
8.
to be minded or disposed; have intentions:
Beware, she means ill, despite her solicitous manner.
Idioms
9.
mean well, to have good intentions; try to be kind or helpful:
Her constant queries about your health must be tiresome, but I’m sure she means well.
noun
1.
the sense or significance of a word, sentence, symbol, etc; import; semantic or lexical content
2.
the purpose underlying or intended by speech, action, etc
3.
the inner, symbolic, or true interpretation, value, or message: the meaning of a dream
4.
valid content; efficacy: a law with little or no meaning
5.
(philosophy)

the sense of an expression; its connotation
the reference of an expression; its denotation. In recent philosophical writings meaning can be used in both the above senses See also sense (sense 12)

adjective
6.
expressive of some sense, intention, criticism, etc: a meaning look
verb (mainly transitive) means, meaning, meant
1.
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to intend to convey or express
2.
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) intend: she didn’t mean to hurt it
3.
(may take a clause as object) to say or do in all seriousness: the boss means what he says about strikes
4.
(often passive) often foll by for. to destine or design (for a certain person or purpose): she was meant for greater things
5.
(may take a clause as object) to denote or connote; signify; represent: examples help show exactly what a word means
6.
(may take a clause as object) to produce; cause: the weather will mean long traffic delays
7.
(may take a clause as object) to foretell; portend: those dark clouds mean rain
8.
to have the importance of: money means nothing to him
9.
(intransitive) to have the intention of behaving or acting (esp in the phrases mean well or mean ill)
10.
mean business, to be in earnest
adjective
1.
(mainly Brit) miserly, ungenerous, or petty
2.
humble, obscure, or lowly: he rose from mean origins to high office
3.
despicable, ignoble, or callous: a mean action
4.
poor or shabby: mean clothing, a mean abode
5.
(informal, mainly US & Canadian) bad-tempered; vicious
6.
(informal) ashamed: he felt mean about not letting the children go to the zoo
7.
(informal, mainly US) unwell; in low spirits
8.
(slang) excellent; skilful: he plays a mean trombone
9.
no mean

of high quality: no mean performer
difficult: no mean feat

noun
1.
the middle point, state, or course between limits or extremes
2.
moderation
3.
(maths)

the second and third terms of a proportion, as b and c in a/b = c/d
another name for average (sense 2) See also geometric mean

4.
(statistics) a statistic obtained by multiplying each possible value of a variable by its probability and then taking the sum or integral over the range of the variable
adjective
5.
intermediate or medium in size, quantity, etc
6.
occurring halfway between extremes or limits; average

mean (mēn)
n.

Something having a position, quality, or condition midway between extremes; a medium.

A number that typifies a set of numbers, such as a geometric mean or an arithmetic mean.

The average value of a set of numbers.

adj.

Occupying a middle or intermediate position between two extremes.

Intermediate in size, extent, quality, time, or degree; medium.

mean
(mēn)

A number or quantity having a value that is intermediate between other numbers or quantities, especially an arithmetic mean or average. See more at arithmetic mean.

Either the second or third term of a proportion of four terms. In the proportion 2/3 = 4/6 , the means are 3 and 4. Compare extreme.

mean definition

An average in statistics. (See under “Physical Sciences and Mathematics.”)

mean definition

In statistics, an average of a group of numbers or data points. With a group of numbers, the mean is obtained by adding them and dividing by the number of numbers in the group. Thus the mean of five, seven, and twelve is eight (twenty-four divided by three). (Compare median and mode.)
mean

adjective

Excellent; wonderful; classy, wicked: This girl has already proved she can play a mean game of tennis/ And Wheelright had a great, mean ear for dialect (1900+ Black)

Related Terms

lean and mean, shake a wicked calf

mean business
mean to

, also see under
means