Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of intimating or announcing.
  • noun An announcement; a formal declaration or notification: as, an intimation from the Foreign Office.
  • noun Information indirectly or covertly imparted; a suggestion or hint; an implied meaning: as, an intimation that one's presence is not desired; intimation of danger.
  • noun Synonyms Suggestion, Insinuation, etc. See hint, v. t.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of intimating; also, the thing intimated.
  • noun Announcement; declaration.
  • noun A hint; an obscure or indirect suggestion or notice; a remote or ambiguous reference.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The act of intimating; also, the thing intimated.
  • noun Announcement; declaration.
  • noun A hint; an obscure or indirect suggestion or notice; a remote or ambiguous reference; as, he had given only intimations of his design.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an indirect suggestion
  • noun a slight suggestion or vague understanding

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin intimatio (Compare French intimation)

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Examples

  • This intimation is the proceed of mere love, which, whether you embrace or no, I shall still continue all those good wishes and offices of respect that may become

    Letters from Dorothy Osborne to Sir William Temple (1652-54) 1888

  • William Jefferson, known to be less than scrupulous (the FBI found $90,000 in cash in his freezer, and the intimation is that he is connected to some shady individuals from South America), re-elected to Congress in a landslide, primarily due the rantings of the autocratic sheriff of Jefferson Parish.

    Think Progress » Chertoff Learned of Levee Failure 36 Hours After Mayor Nagin? 2005

  • I have received intimation from the Editor that the record will appear in the 2007 issue of the Records Book under the category of ‘Communication’.

    Guinness World Book of Records and Other Blog Score Cards « Lorelle on WordPress 2005

  • Q Did you get any readout on Vice President Mondale's meeting, and did he get any intimation from the Indonesians that they will stick with the IMF reforms?

    Press Briefing By Mike Mccurry ITY National Archives 1998

  • It might be the handkerchief sent back to her, it might be some other plain intimation that he had changed his mind.

    Kirsteen: The Story of a Scotch Family Seventy Years Ago Margaret 1891

  • No intimation from the Confederate army, or from the men controlling it, in relation to a peace compromise has ever come to

    Foreign and Colonial News 1863

  • An intimation from the War-office appeared in all the newspapers, calling on half-pay officers either to sell their commissions or to hold themselves in readiness to join some regiment.

    Roughing It in the Bush 1852

  • The first check to her duteous demonstrations was a formal intimation from the fallen majesty of England, that I was in no manner to be intruded upon her.

    II.8 1826

  • The relating of this matter so briefly, is a plain intimation to us, that we must not look that way for a confirmation of our faith; we have a more sure word of prophecy.

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume V (Matthew to John) 1721

  • This is a plain intimation that in the days of the Messiah an end should be put, not only to the sacrifices of atonement, but to those of praise and acknowledgment which were instituted by the ceremonial law; and, instead of them, spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving are accepted -- the calves of our lips, not the calves of the stall, Heb. xiii.

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon) 1721

Comments

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  • "She had always had an intimation of her destiny: all her senses would go on the alert, as if bracing her for a blow-a terrible, crushing, powerful blow-of luck, whether good or bad."

    - Nina Berberova, 'Cape of Storms' (translated by Marian Schwartz).

    November 10, 2008

  • I always think this word means intimating...

    August 29, 2013