meaning in the Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary

Translations for meaning in the English»French Dictionary

meaning [Brit ˈmiːnɪŋ, Am ˈminɪŋ] N

1. meaning (sense):

meaning (of word, phrase, remark)

sens m

meaning (of word, phrase, remark)

signification f

meaning (of symbol, gesture, name)

signification f

what is the meaning of this word?

quel est le sens de ce mot?

a word with two meanings

un mot à double sens

what is the meaning of this?

qu'est-ce que cela signifie?

poverty? he doesn't know the meaning of the word!

la pauvreté? c'est un mot qui ne fait pas partie de son vocabulaire

2. meaning (message):

meaning (of film, dream)

signification f

3. meaning (purpose):

meaning

sens m

my life/work no longer has any meaning

ma vie/mon travail n'a plus aucun sens

to give new meaning to life, work

donner un sens nouveau à

4. meaning (eloquence):

a look/gesture full of meaning

un regard/geste lourd de sens

5. meaning (drift):

yes, I get your meaning inf

oui, je vois ce que tu veux dire

he likes a little drink, if you get my meaning inf

il aime bien boire un petit verre, si tu vois ce que je veux dire

6. meaning LAW:

meaning

termes mpl

within the meaning of the act

selon les termes de la loi

well-meaning ADJ

well-meaning person

bien intentionné

well-meaning advice, suggestion, gesture

qui part d'une bonne intention

I.mean [Brit miːn, Am min] N

1. mean (gen) MATH:

mean

moyenne f

above/below the mean

au-dessus/en dessous de la moyenne

2. mean (middle point):

mean fig

milieu m

II.mean [Brit miːn, Am min] ADJ

1. mean (average):

mean weight, temperature, age

moyen/-enne

2. mean (ungenerous):

mean person

avare

mean person

radin inf

mean attitude, nature

mesquin

mean examiner

sévère

to be mean with portion, quantity

être avare sur

he's mean with his money

il est avare

3. mean (unkind):

mean person, action

méchant

to be mean to sb

être méchant avec qn

to be mean about appearance, performance

faire des remarques désobligeantes sur

it is/was mean of you to do

ce n'est pas chic de ta part de faire/d'avoir fait

to feel mean for or about doing

avoir un peu honte de faire

a mean trick

une sale tour

4. mean (vicious):

mean animal, person, expression

méchant

that man/dog has got a mean streak

cet homme/ce chien a la méchanceté en lui

5. mean (tough):

the mean streets of New York

les quartiers durs de New York inf

he's a mean character

c'est un sale type inf

6. mean (skilful) inf:

mean cook, cocktail

formidable, du tonnerre inf

after n she makes a mean margarita

elle fait un margarita du tonnerre inf

she plays a mean game of tennis/chess

elle touche sa bille au tennis/aux échecs inf

you're no mean artist/poker player!

tu es un sacré artiste/joueur de poker! inf

7. mean (small) inf:

to have no mean opinion of oneself

avoir une haute opinion de soi-même

that's no mean feat!

ce n'est pas un mince exploit!

8. mean (lowly) liter:

mean dwelling

misérable

mean birth

bas/basse

mean origin

modeste

9. mean Am (off colour) inf:

to feel mean

ne pas être dans son assiette inf

III.mean <pret, pp meant> [Brit miːn, Am min] VB trans

1. mean (signify):

mean word, symbol, phrase:

signifier, vouloir dire (that que)

mean sign:

vouloir dire

what does this word/symbol mean?

que signifie ce mot/symbole?

the name/word means nothing to me

ce nom/mot ne me dit rien

does the term mean anything to him?

est-ce que le terme lui dit quelque chose?

2. mean (intend):

to mean to do

avoir l'intention de faire

to mean sb to do Brit, to mean for sb to do Am

vouloir que qn fasse

to be meant for sb question, bomb:

être destiné à qn

I meant it as a joke/a compliment

c'était une blague/un compliment de ma part

he doesn't mean you any harm

il ne te veut aucun mal

what do you mean by opening my letters?

qu'est-ce qui te prend d'ouvrir mon courrier?

to mean well

avoir de bonnes intentions (by sb à l'égard de qn)

he means trouble or mischief

il a de mauvaises intentions

she means business

elle ne plaisante pas

he means what he says (he is sincere)

il est sérieux

he means what he says (he is menacing)

il ne plaisante pas

she meant no offence

elle n'y entendait pas malice

I didn't mean to do it

je ne l'ai pas fait exprès

I didn't mean anything by it

je n'avais aucune arrière-pensée

without meaning to

par inadvertance

my remark offended you? it was meant to!

ma remarque t'a vexé? c'était voulu!

3. mean (entail):

mean strike, law: shortages, changes

entraîner

mean budget: tax cuts

signifier

his death/the accident means doing

à cause de sa mort/l'accident il faut faire

4. mean (intend to say):

mean

vouloir dire

do you mean Paul Rose?

tu veux dire Paul Rose?

what do you mean by that remark?

qu'est-ce que tu veux dire par là?

do you mean me?

c'est de moi que tu parles?

I mean to say, who wants a car that won't start?

non mais, qui voudrait d'une voiture qui ne démarre pas?

I know what you mean

je comprends

5. mean (be of value):

a promise/designer label means nothing

une promesse/marque ne veut pas dire grand-chose

she means everything/nothing to me

elle est tout/n'est rien pour moi

money means everything/nothing to them

l'argent représente tout/ne représente rien pour eux

money means a lot to him

l'argent compte beaucoup pour lui

your friendship means a lot to me

ton amitié est très importante pour moi

what it means to live in a democracy!

quelle belle chose que de vivre dans une démocratie!

6. mean (be destined) tjrs au passif:

to be meant to do

être destiné à faire

she was meant to be/become a doctor

elle était destinée à être/devenir médecin

it was meant to be or happen

cela devait arriver

they were meant for each other

ils étaient faits l'un pour l'autre

I was meant for better things

j'étais appelé à un destin meilleur

7. mean (be supposed to be) tjrs au passif:

he's/you're etc meant to be impartial, sad

il est/tu es etc censé être

I'm/you're etc meant to be doing

je suis/tu es etc censé faire

golden mean N

1. golden mean (happy medium):

the golden mean

le juste milieu

2. golden mean ART → golden section

See also golden section

golden section N

golden section

section f dorée

mean-minded [ˌmiːnˈmaɪndɪd] ADJ

mean-minded

malintentionné

arithmetic mean N

arithmetic mean

moyenne f arithmétique

mean-spirited ADJ

mean-spirited

petit, mesquin

mean-looking [Brit ˈmiːnlʊkɪŋ] ADJ

1. mean-looking (vicious):

mean-looking dog, man

méchant

2. mean-looking (impressive) hum:

mean-looking drink

géant

3. mean-looking (trendy) inf:

mean-looking jacket

d'enfer inf

Your search term in other parts of the dictionary

apprehend complexity, meaning

saisir

discern meaning, truth, intention

percevoir

meaning in the PONS Dictionary

Translations for meaning in the English»French Dictionary

meaning N

1. meaning (signification):

meaning

signification f

do you get my meaning?

tu vois ce que je veux dire?

2. meaning (interpretation):

meaning

interprétation f

3. meaning (significance, value):

meaning

sens m

to have a special meaning for sb

être particulièrement important pour qn

Phrases:

what is the meaning of this?

qu'est-ce que cela veut dire?

well-meaning, well-meant ADJ

well-meaning

bien intentionné(e)

mean¹ [mi:n] ADJ

1. mean (miserly):

mean

avare

to be mean with sth

être avare de qc

2. mean (unkind, aggressive):

mean

méchant(e)

to be mean to sb

être méchant envers qn

to have a mean streak

avoir un côté mauvais

to play a mean trick on sb

jouer un sale tour à qn

3. mean (wretched):

mean

misérable

the mean streets

les bas quartiers

4. mean fig (poor):

mean

pauvre

5. mean inf (excellent):

mean

excellent(e)

Phrases:

to be no mean feat

ne pas être une mince affaire

mean² <meant, meant> [mi:n] VB trans

1. mean (express meaning):

mean

signifier

it means "hello" in Arabic

ça veut dire "salut" en arabe

what do you mean by that?

qu'est-ce que tu veux dire?

I mean that

je suis sérieux

I mean (to say)

vraiment

2. mean (refer to):

mean

parler de

do you mean me?

tu veux dire moi?

3. mean (result in):

mean

impliquer

that means we'll have to start again

ce qui veut dire qu'il faut recommencer

this means war

c'est la guerre

4. mean (have significance):

it means a lot to me

c'est important pour moi

5. mean (intend, suppose):

to mean to +infin

avoir l'intention de +infin

I didn't mean to upset you

je ne voulais pas te faire de peine

to be meant to be sth

être destiné à qc

to be meant for sb money, letter

être destiné à qn

to be meant for sb person

être fait pour qn

you were mean to be here

tu étais supposé être là

to mean well

avoir de bonnes intentions

I.mean³ [mi:n] N

1. mean (middle):

mean

milieu m

2. mean MATH:

mean

moyenne f

II.mean³ [mi:n] ADJ

mean

moyen(ne)

golden mean N no pl

golden mean

juste m milieu

Greenwich Mean Time N

Greenwich Mean Time

temps m universel

Translations for meaning in the French»English Dictionary

Your search term in other parts of the dictionary

signification

meaning

dépourvu de toute rationalité

devoid of meaning

sens

meaning

un mot à double sens

a word with a double meaning

être dépourvu de tout sens [ou n'avoir aucun sens]

to have no meaning

être plein de sens

to be full of meaning

meaning Examples from the PONS Dictionary (editorially verified)

I took him to mean tomorrow

j'avais compris qu'il voulait dire demain

do you get my meaning?

tu vois ce que je veux dire?

to have a special meaning for sb

être particulièrement important pour qn

what is the meaning of this?

qu'est-ce que cela veut dire?

to mean (all) the world to sb

être tout pour qn

what meaning do you give to this word?

quel sens attaches-tu à ce mot?

what's all this nonsense supposed to mean?

à quoi riment ces excentricités?

what do you mean by that?

qu'est-ce que vous entendez par là?

a word with a double meaning

un mot à double sens

the literal meaning of a word

le sens propre d'un mot

Monolingual examples (not verified by PONS Editors)

English

It also carries symbolical meaning of strength and power.

en.wikipedia.org

Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be abstract shapes.

en.wikipedia.org

Like any good moralist, he knows how to give his story a meaning, to provide more than just simple entertainment.

en.wikipedia.org

It is one of the most frugal of these, meaning it is simple or economical.

en.wikipedia.org

These guides offer no speculation as to the word's meaning.

en.wikipedia.org

For example, the prefix "re-" meaning again, back is only added to verb bases as in "rebuild", "reclaim", "reuse", "resell", "re-evaluate", "resettle".

en.wikipedia.org

Kerosene-based fuel has a much higher flash point than gasoline-based fuel, meaning that it requires significantly higher temperature to ignite.

en.wikipedia.org

The meaning differs based on the hanja with which the name is written.

en.wikipedia.org

He used the phrase first-come, first-served, meaning that he will respond to the first international call-up from either country.

en.wikipedia.org

Sociological studies focus on the function of music in society as well as its meaning for individuals and society as a whole.

en.wikipedia.org