[syn: hypnotism, mesmerism, suggestion]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Suggestion \Sug*ges"tion\, n. [F. suggestion, L. suggestio.]
1. The act of suggesting; presentation of an idea.
[1913 Webster]
2. That which is suggested; an intimation; an insinuation; a
hint; a different proposal or mention; also, formerly, a
secret incitement; temptation.
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Why do I yield to that suggestion? --Shak.
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3. Charge; complaint; accusation. [Obs.] "A false
suggestion." --Chaucer.
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4. (Law) Information without oath; an entry of a material
fact or circumstance on the record for the information of
the court, at the death or insolvency of a party.
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5. (Physiol. & Metaph.) The act or power of originating or
recalling ideas or relations, distinguished as original
and relative; -- a term much used by Scottish
metaphysicians from Hutcherson to Thomas Brown.
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6. (Hypnotism) The control of the mind of an hypnotic subject
by ideas in the mind of the hypnotizer.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Syn: Hint; allusion; intimation; insinuation.
Usage: Suggestion, Hint. A hint is the briefest or most
indirect mode of calling one's attention to a subject.
A suggestion is a putting of something before the mind
for consideration, an indirect or guarded mode of
presenting argument or advice. A hint is usually
something slight or covert, and may by merely negative
in its character. A suggestion is ordinarily intended
to furnish us with some practical assistance or
direction. "He gave me a hint of my danger, and added
some suggestions as to the means of avoiding it."
[1913 Webster]
Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike,
Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike. --Pope.
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Arthur, whom they say is killed to-night
On your suggestion. --Shak.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
suggestion
n 1: an idea that is suggested; "the picnic was her suggestion"
2: a proposal offered for acceptance or rejection; "it was a
suggestion we couldn't refuse" [syn: suggestion,
proposition, proffer]
3: a just detectable amount; "he speaks French with a trace of
an accent" [syn: trace, hint, suggestion]
4: persuasion formulated as a suggestion [syn: suggestion,
prompting]
5: the sequential mental process in which one thought leads to
another by association
6: the act of inducing hypnosis [syn: hypnotism, mesmerism,
suggestion]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
222 Moby Thesaurus words for "suggestion":
admonition, advice, advising, advocacy, allegory, allusion,
arcane meaning, ascendancy, aspersion, assumption, authority,
bare suggestion, breath, briefing, broad hint, cast, catchword,
caution, caveat, characterization, charisma, charm, clout, clue,
coloration, connotation, consequence, consultation, control,
council, counsel, credit, cue, cue word, dash, denomination,
denotation, designation, differentiation, direction, disclosure,
dominance, domination, effect, eminence, enchantment, esteem,
evidence, exhortation, expostulation, expression, favor, fingering,
force, gentle hint, gesture, gleam, glimmer, glimmering,
good feeling, guidance, half an idea, hazy idea, hint, hold,
hortation, hot lead, idea, identification, implication,
implied meaning, import, importance, impression,
improper suggestion, imputation, incidental power,
indecent proposal, index, indication, indicativeness, inference,
influence, influentiality, infusion, inkling, innuendo,
insinuation, instance, instruction, intimation, invitation, iota,
ironic suggestion, key, key word, kick, lead, leadership, leverage,
lick, look, magnetism, manifestation, mastery, meaning,
mere notion, metaphorical sense, moment, monition, motion, naming,
nod, notion, nuance, nudge, occult meaning, opinion, overtone,
parley, pass, personal remark, personality, persuasion,
picking out, plan, pointing, pointing out, pointing to, potency,
power, predominance, preponderance, pressure, prestige,
presumption, presupposition, proffer, prompt, prompting, proposal,
proposition, purchase, recommendation, reflection, reign, reminder,
remonstrance, repute, request, resolution, rule, sauce, say, scent,
scintilla, seasoning, selection, sexual advance, shade, shadow,
show, showing, sign, signal, signification, sip, slur,
sly suggestion, smack, smattering, smell, sneaking suspicion,
soupcon, spark, specification, spice, spoor, sprinkling, strain,
suasion, subsense, subsidiary sense, subtle influence, sup,
supposition, supremacy, suspicion, sway, symbolism, symptom,
symptomaticness, taint, taste, telltale, tempering, thought, tinct,
tincture, tinge, tint, tip-off, touch, trace, track,
uncomplimentary remark, undercurrent, undermeaning, undertone,
upper hand, urging, vague idea, vein, vestige, warning, weight,
whiff, whip hand, whisper, whispering campaign, wind, wink
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
SUGGESTION. In its literal sense this word signifies to inform, to
insinuate, to instruct, to cause to be remembered, to counsel. In practice
it is used to convey the idea of information; as, the defendant suggests the
death of one of the plaintiffs. 2 Sell. Pr. 191.
2. In wills, when suggestions are made to a testator for the purpose of
procuring a devise of his property in a particular way, and when such
suggestions are false, they generally amount to a fraud. Bac. Ab. Wills, G
3; 5 Toull. n. 706.