# meaningful

/ˈminɪŋfəɫ/ (US) · /mˈiːnɪŋfəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/meaningful
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. important or useful

adjective · CEFR B2

having a clear purpose or importance that makes it worth doing.

For teachers: having a serious, important, or useful quality or purpose.

- She wanted to find a meaningful job where she could really help people.
- The charity provides meaningful support to refugees, focusing on long-term integration rather than just immediate emergency aid.

### 2. showing deep feeling

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

showing a lot of emotion or a secret message without using many words.

For teachers: communicating a significant message or emotion, often through non-verbal cues or subtext.

- They shared a meaningful look across the room, even though they didn't speak.
- After the announcement, there was a meaningful silence in the hall as the board members waited for the director to justify the decision.

## Examples

- She wants to find a meaningful job.
- After years of small talk, they finally had a meaningful conversation about their future plans.
- The charity aims to provide meaningful support to families in crisis, ensuring that every intervention addresses a specific, long-term need rather than offering a temporary fix.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.