# meaning

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmiː.nɪŋ/ · frequency rank #1,429

## Definitions
1. The denotation, referent, or idea connected with a word, expression, or symbol.
2. The connotation associated with a word, expression, or symbol.
3. The purpose, value, or significance (of something) beyond the fact of that thing's existence.
4. Intention.

## Etymology
From Middle English mening, menyng, equivalent to mean + -ing. Cognate with Scots mening (“intent, purpose, sense, meaning”), West Frisian miening (“opinion, mind”), Dutch mening (“view, opinion, judgement”), German Meinung (“opinion, view, mind, idea”), Danish and Swedish mening (“meaning, sense, sentence, opinion”), Icelandic meining (“meaning”).

## Easily confused with
- **mining** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meaning-vs-mining)
- **morning** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meaning-vs-morning)
- **meeting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meaning-vs-meeting)
- **Messing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meaning-vs-messing)
- **melting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meaning-vs-melting)
- **moaning** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meaning-vs-moaning)
- **mending** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meaning-vs-mending)
- **melanin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meaning-vs-melanin)
- **menacing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/meaning-vs-menacing)
- **making** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/making-vs-meaning)
- **mating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mating-vs-meaning)

## Common misspellings (10)
`emaning`, `maening`, `meainng`, `meanign`, `meaningg`, `meaninng`, `meannig`, `meanning`, `menaing`, `mmeaning`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/meaning