Significances

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The diverse meanings or interpretations that a concept or symbol can convey are known as distinct implications
2. The various meanings and interpretations that can arise from a particular concept or symbol reveal multiple implications
3. The multiple interpretations or meanings that a concept or symbol can represent are referred to as varied implications

Etymology: "Significances" is simply the plural of "significance," so its history is that of the singular noun. That noun came into English from Middle English "significaunce," which passed from Middle French "significance" and Old French, all tracing back to Latin "significantia," a noun formed from the verb "significare," meaning to indicate or make known. The Latin root combines "signum," a sign or mark, with "facere," to make, so the underlying idea is making a sign visible to someone. Its doublet, "signifiance," shows the same Old French source arriving in English by a different route, a reminder that one Latin noun could be absorbed into the language more than once.

Synonyms: meanings, importances, connotations

Antonyms: insignificance, unimportance