meaningful

adjective

mean·​ing·​ful ˈmē-niŋ-fəl How to pronounce meaningful (audio)
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 adverb
meaningfulness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See all Example Sentences for meaningful 

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 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

meaningful

adjective
mean·​ing·​ful ˈmē-niŋ-fəl How to pronounce meaningful (audio)
1
: having a meaning or purpose
meaningful work
2
: full of meaning : significant
a meaningful experience
meaningfully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on meaningful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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