suggestion

noun

sug·​ges·​tion səg-ˈjes-chən How to pronounce suggestion (audio)
sə-ˈjes-, 
-ˈjesh-
Synonyms of suggestion
1
a
: the act or process of suggesting
b
: something suggested
2
a
: the process by which a physical or mental state is influenced by a thought or idea
the power of suggestion
b
: the process by which one thought leads to another especially through association of ideas
3
: a slight indication : trace
a suggestion of a smile

Synonyms of suggestion

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Examples of suggestion in a Sentence

Do you have any suggestions? Please send comments and suggestions to our post office box. I have a suggestion: call the store and ask them about it. I'd like to offer a suggestion. I reject his suggestion that we shouldn't have helped them. trying to influence people's thoughts by using suggestion The director relies on the power of suggestion rather than explicitly showing the murder.
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.
Then, with little suggestion that anything would change, Florida’s offense just, kind of, reverted to its September form. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 The attorneys also challenged the suggestion that the family should await the ordinary appeals process. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The suggestion by anyone, that Selma does not have multiple sclerosis is outrageous. — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026 While artificial intelligence runs in the background to help users generate suggestions when buying for someone outside the network, the core list creation is entirely human-driven. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for suggestion

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of suggestion was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing suggestion

Rhymes for suggestion

See All Rhymes for suggestion

Browse Nearby Words

suggestio falsi
suggestion
suggest itself
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Suggestion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suggestion. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

suggestion

noun
sug·​ges·​tion sə(g)-ˈjes-chən How to pronounce suggestion (audio)
-ˈjesh-
1
a
: the act or process of suggesting
b
: something (as a thought or plan) that is suggested
2
a
: the process by which a physical or mental state is influenced by a thought or idea
the power of suggestion
b
: the process by which one thought leads to another especially through association of ideas
c
: a way of influencing attitudes and behavior hypnotically
3
: a slight indication
a suggestion of a smile

Medical Definition

suggestion

noun
sug·​ges·​tion sə(g)-ˈjes-chən, -ˈjesh- How to pronounce suggestion (audio)
1
a
: the act or process of impressing something (as an idea, attitude, or desired action) upon the mind of another
suggestion in response to propaganda—Psychological Abstracts
b
: the process by which a physical or mental state is influenced by a thought or idea
the power of suggestion
2
: something impressed upon the mind by suggestion
the posthypnotic carrying out of suggestions held in the unconscious—G. S. Blum

Legal Definition

suggestion

noun
sug·​ges·​tion
1
a
: the act or process of suggesting
b
: something suggested
2
: an entry on the record of a fact or circumstance (as the death or insolvency of a party) material to a case and essential for the court in making its determination
reference to a party's death in a pleading was not the equivalent of a formal suggestion of death on the record—Kissic v. Liberty Nat'l Life Ins. Co., 641 So. 2d 250 (1994)

More from Merriam-Webster on suggestion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about suggestion

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