suggestion
suggestion
Pronunciation
suggestion: /səˈdʒɛstʃən/
sug- /səɡ/:
/s/ - unvoiced alveolar fricative
/ə/ - schwa (mid-central vowel)
/ɡ/ - voiced velar stop
-ges- /dʒɛs/:
/dʒ/ - voiced postalveolar affricate
/ɛ/ - open-mid front unrounded vowel
/s/ - unvoiced alveolar fricative
-tion /tʃən/:
/tʃ/ - unvoiced postalveolar affricate
/ə/ - schwa (mid-central vowel)
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: suggestion
Plural Noun: suggestions
Verb (base form): suggest
Verb (third person singular present): suggests
Verb (present participle): suggesting
Verb (past tense/past participle): suggested
Adjective: suggestive
Adverb: suggestively
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: An idea or plan put forward for consideration, often in a tentative or informal manner.
Synonyms: proposal, recommendation, proposition, notion, hint, tip
Antonyms: demand, order, command, rejection, veto
Definition 2: The act or process of presenting an idea or course of action for someone to think about.
Synonyms: proposing, recommending, prompting, hinting, advising
Antonyms: concealing, withdrawing, suppressing
Verb (from "suggest")
Definition 1: To put forward an idea, plan, or possibility for consideration.
Synonyms: propose, recommend, advise, submit, advocate, intimate
Antonyms: retract, oppose, forbid, dissuade
Definition 2: To evoke or call to mind (an idea or feeling) without explicit statement.
Synonyms: imply, hint, indicate, connote, insinuate, allude to
Antonyms: state, declare, specify, clarify, articulate
Definition 3: To make something seem probable or indicate the truth of something.
Synonyms: indicate, show, point to, imply, signify
Antonyms: disprove, refute, contradict, negate
Adjective (from "suggestive")
Definition 1: Tending to suggest an idea, especially one that is implicit or not fully expressed.
Synonyms: indicative, evocative, expressive, significant, meaningful
Antonyms: unrevealing, uninformative, explicit, direct
Definition 2: Bringing thoughts of sex to mind in an indirect or subtle way.
Synonyms: provocative, racy, titillating, risqué, alluring
Antonyms: modest, chaste, innocent, demure
Adverb (from "suggestively")
Definition 1: In a manner that suggests something implicitly or indirectly.
Synonyms: implicitly, indirectly, hinting, allusively, subtly
Antonyms: explicitly, directly, overtly, plainly
Definition 2: In a manner that is sexually suggestive or provocative.
Synonyms: provocatively, alluringly, racily, tantalizingly
Antonyms: modestly, innocently, chastely
Examples of Use
Books:
"He nodded, accepting her suggestion without further argument, a rare occurrence given his usual stubbornness." (From a contemporary romance novel, exact title and author omitted as per instructions)
"The architect's initial suggestion for the building's facade was met with enthusiasm by the city council." (From a non-fiction book on urban planning, exact title and author omitted)
Newspapers:
"The government has launched a public consultation inviting suggestions on how to improve local transport infrastructure." (From a national newspaper)
"Critics dismissed the minister's suggestion of a tax cut as politically motivated, rather than economically sound." (From a financial newspaper)
Online Publications:
"In a recent blog post, a renowned nutritionist offered a suggestion for incorporating more plant-based meals into your diet." (From a health and wellness website)
"Users can submit a suggestion for new features directly through the platform's feedback portal." (From a tech news website reviewing a software update)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film Dialogue: "I have a suggestion for how we can get out of this mess. It's risky, but it might just work." (From a thriller film, exact title omitted)
Music Review: "The subtle synth melody in the chorus offers a clever suggestion of melancholy, complementing the lyrics perfectly." (From an online music review)
Video Game: "The game often provides helpful suggestions during the tutorial phase, guiding new players through complex mechanics." (From a video game review)
Streaming Platform Interface: "Because you watched The Crown, here's a suggestion for you: Downton Abbey." (Netflix, ongoing feature)
General Public Discourse:
"My suggestion would be to start early if you want to avoid the rush hour traffic." (Casual conversation)
"Does anyone have a suggestion for a good place to eat around here that serves vegetarian options?" (Online forum post)
"I'm open to any suggestions on how to improve our team's workflow." (Work meeting discussion)
"That's an interesting suggestion, but I'm not sure it's feasible given our current budget." (Everyday conversation)
10 Quotes Using Suggestion
"I never made a discovery of any importance that was not due to suggestion." (Lord Kelvin)
"The best suggestion wins, no matter who makes it." (Elon Musk)
"Every reform, however necessary, will by the very force of the suggestion it has made, give birth to a new want." (Benjamin Constant)
"Art is a suggestion rather than an explanation." (Walter J. Phillips)
"A gentle suggestion often does more than a violent command." (Aesop)
"Good literature is a form of suggestion." (Robert Frost)
"To give a good piece of advice, or a helpful suggestion, is not so difficult." (Marcus Tullius Cicero)
"My suggestion is to create a culture of transparency and accountability." (Jacinda Ardern)
"The whole life of man is a perpetual suggestion of something else." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"The most powerful way to produce change is to make a suggestion rather than a demand." (Leo Buscaglia)
Etymology
The word "suggestion" comes to us from Latin, specifically from the word suggestio. This Latin word, in turn, comes from the verb suggerere.
Let's break suggerere down:
"sub-" means "under" or "from below."
"gerere" means "to bring" or "to carry."
So, literally, suggerere meant something like "to bring up" or "to lay beneath." Over time, its meaning evolved to include "to furnish," "to prompt," or "to put forward an idea."
When "suggestion" first appeared in English, around the mid-14th century (specifically before 1340, according to the Oxford English Dictionary), its initial meaning was "the action of prompting or urging." Interestingly, this often carried a negative connotation, particularly "a prompting to evil" or "temptation."
Think of it like someone subtly putting a thought "under" your mind, nudging you in a certain direction. This could be for good, but early on, it was often used to describe tempting someone to do something bad.
Later, by the late 14th century, the meaning broadened to include "the act of placing before the mind problematically" and also simply "a proposal, statement, or declaration." By around 1600, it also came to mean how one idea can bring another idea to mind through association. The sense of "evil prompting" still exists today in the word "suggestive," which can mean hinting at something indecent.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Suggestion
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "suggestion," supplemented where common usage is limited:
At your suggestion: Based on your idea or advice.
A mere suggestion: Something that is only an idea, not a demand or firm plan.
Food for suggestion: Something that provides material for consideration or further thought. (Less common, but understandable)
On my suggestion: Because I recommended it.
To take a suggestion: To follow or accept a piece of advice.
To offer a suggestion: To provide an idea for consideration.
Beyond suggestion: Something that is so obvious or clear it doesn't need to be suggested. (Original phrase)
The power of suggestion: The ability of an idea or image to influence a person's thoughts or actions.
A helpful suggestion: Useful advice.
To plant a suggestion: To subtly introduce an idea into someone's mind.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of suggestion from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
