intimation

/ˌɪntəˈmeɪʃən/

Other forms: intimations

The noun intimation means a hint or an indirect suggestion. Your teacher's intimation that there could be a quiz the next day might send you into a panic, while your friend sitting beside you might not even notice.

Intimation comes from the Latin word intimationem, which means an announcement. In English, intimation refers to a less direct form of communication. It's a suggestion or hint, rather than a blatant statement of fact. Your first intimation that your brother had a girlfriend was the amount of time he spent whispering into the phone. The second intimation was when he asked your parents for money for two movie tickets.

Definitions of intimation

1. noun

   a slight suggestion or vague understanding
   synonyms: glimmer, glimmering, inkling

   type of:

   suggestion

   an idea that is suggested
2. noun

   an indirect suggestion
   synonyms: breath, hint

   type of:

   proffer, proposition, suggestion

   a proposal offered for acceptance or rejection