meaningful

adjective

mean·​ing·​ful ˈmē-niŋ-fəl 

1

a

: having a meaning or purpose

The tests did not produce any meaningful results.

b

: full of meaning : significant

a meaningful life

a meaningful relationship

2

: having an assigned function in a language system

meaningful propositions

meaningfully

ˈmē-niŋ-fə-lē 

adverb

meaningfulness noun

Synonyms

• eloquent
• expressive
• meaning
• pregnant
• revealing
• revelatory
• significant
• suggestive

Examples of meaningful in a Sentence

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 a second Trump administration could also harness the country’s brilliant and sometimes brutal motion in productive ways, taking meaningful steps to make the United States more secure in a perilous world. —Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024

By taking a holistic approach that considers the entire life cycle of a project—from acquisition to long-term community impact—developers can deliver results that are both financially rewarding and socially meaningful. —Meyer Orbach, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

The neuroscientist and brain surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, was studying the brain activity behind speech, that precise and delicate neural choreography by which lips, jaw, tongue, and larynx produce meaningful sounds. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024

Statistically, too, there is no meaningful difference between a 50-in-100 chance and a 49-in-100 chance. —G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

meaningful

adjective

mean·​ing·​ful ˈmē-niŋ-fəl 

1

: having a meaning or purpose

meaningful work

2

: full of meaning : significant

a meaningful experience

meaningfully

-fə-lē 

adverb