mean·ing (mḗnĭng)

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noun 

1. Something that is conveyed or signified; sense or significance.
2. Something that one wishes to convey, especially by language: The writer's meaning was obscured by his convoluted prose.
3. An interpreted goal, intent, or end: “The central meaning of his pontificate is to restore papal authority” (Conor Cruise O'Brien)
4. Inner significance: “But who can comprehend the meaning of the voice of the city?” (O. Henry)

adjective 

1. Full of meaning; expressive.
2. Disposed or intended in a specified manner. Often used in combination: a well-meaning fellow; ill-meaning intentions.

synonyms:

meaning, acceptation, import, sense, significance, signification These nouns refer to the idea conveyed by something, such as a word, action, gesture, or situation: Synonyms are words with the same or nearly the same meaning. In one of its acceptationsis a technical term in music. The import of his statement is ambiguous. The term has only one sense. The significance of a green traffic light is widely understood. Linguists have determined the hieroglyphics' signification.

mean¹ (mēn)

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[Middle English menen, from Old English mǣnan, to tell of.]

verb: meant (mĕnt), mean·ing, means. 

transitive verb 

1. 1. To be used to convey; denote: “‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you make words mean so many different things’” (Lewis Carroll)
   2. To act as a symbol of; signify or represent: In this poem, the budding flower means youth.
2. To intend to convey or indicate: “No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous” (Henry Adams)
3. To have as a purpose or an intention; intend: I meant to go running this morning, but I overslept.
4. To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end: a building that was meant for storage; a student who was meant to be a scientist.
5. To have as a consequence; bring about: Friction means heat.
6. To have the importance or value of: The opinions of the critics meant nothing to him. She meant so much to me.

intransitive verb 

To have intentions of a specified kind; be disposed: They mean well but lack tact.

idioms

mean business

To be in earnest.