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Definitions

meaningful

[mee-ning-fuhl] / ˈmi nɪŋ fəl /
ADJECTIVE
significant
Synonyms
STRONGEST
consequential essential important purposeful relevant serious substantial useful valid worthwhile
WEAK
allusive big clear concise considerable deep eloquent exact explicit expressive heavy indicative intelligible material momentous pointed pregnant sententious succinct suggestive weighty
Antonyms
STRONGEST
insignificant little minor nonessential small trivial unimportant unsubstantial worthless
WEAK
meaningless useless

Usage

What are other ways to say meaningful? When describing forms of expression, the adjectives meaningful and significant imply an underlying and unexpressed thought whose existence is plainly shown although its precise nature is left to conjecture. Meaningful implies a secret and intimate understanding between the persons involved: Meaningful looks passed between them. Significant suggests conveying important or hidden meaning: On hearing this statement, he gave the officers a significant glance. Expressive suggests conveying, or being capable of conveying, a thought, intention, emotion, etc., in an effective or vivid manner: an expressive gesture.  Suggestive implies an indirect or covert conveying of a meaning, sometimes mentally stimulating, sometimes verging on impropriety or indecency: a suggestive story or remark.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If we want to have meaningful savings in federal spending, we will have to cut real things.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Nick Yeatman, the chief executive at Trovr, added: "We want to turn everyday actions into meaningful impact; the initiative at Weston Favell brings that to life in a simple, rewarding way."

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

At the same time, the therapy also produced meaningful improvements in adult patients.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

Never mind that children seldom have meaningful choice but to comply with caregivers’ demands and may be in therapy not to pursue their goals but due to external pressures.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

When his turn came to speak, he advised the students to find some more meaningful thing to do with their lives than go to work on Wall Street.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.