intimation.

1. An indirect indication, hint or suggestion of something.

2. A formal notice or communication making something known.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• intimation of a change
• faint intimation

On the page

The letter offered an intimation of a change without stating its terms.

A faint intimation of doubt appeared in the final sentence.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Singular intimation; plural intimations. Also uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: narrative transformation, conception and possibility, memory representation, anticipatory detail. Disciplines: literary writing, advanced general English, narrative analysis. Commonness: uncommon.