Insinuation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪnˌsɪnjuˈeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The subtle or indirect suggestion of something unpleasant or derogatory without stating it openly
2. An indirect and often clever suggestion of something negative or inappropriate that is not stated plainly
3. A remark or hint that implies something harmful or unspoken in a subtle way

Etymology: The Latin verb "insinuare" originally meant to push or work one's way into a place through a narrow opening, from "in" (in) and "sinus", a word for a curve, fold, or bend, and by extension the bosom or the fold of a garment where things could be tucked away. A person who insinuated themselves into a room was physically slipping in, and the sense of creeping quietly into a place is still visible in the word's core. From that physical sense, the Latin verb developed a figurative use: getting an idea or influence into someone's mind gradually, without being noticed. The noun "insinuatio" carried this same sense of working in by stealth. Middle French took the word over, and English borrowed it from there, so the modern meaning of hinting something unpleasant without saying it outright is a narrowing of that older idea of quietly working one's way in.

Synonyms: implication, hint, suggestion

Antonyms: explicitness, clarity