suggestion

suggestion — noun

1. a thought, plan, or piece of advice that you offer to someone as a possible choi

1.nounA2
Definition

a thought, plan, or piece of advice that you offer to someone as a possible choice for them to think about.

Example

Obi made a helpful suggestion about how to improve the team's workflow.

collocation: make + a suggestion

Do you have any suggestions for where we should hold the party this year?

suggestion + for + question clause

Common collocations
  • make a suggestion
  • offer a suggestion
  • accept a suggestion
  • reject a suggestion
  • at someone's suggestion
  • suggestion for improvement
  • helpful suggestion
  • constructive suggestion
Synonyms
  • proposal

    more formal than suggestion, often used in business or official contexts

  • recommendation

    stronger than suggestion — implies the speaker thinks this is the best option

  • advice

    focuses on guidance for someone's benefit rather than just an idea to consider

  • idea

    broader than suggestion — can be any thought, not necessarily offered to someone else

Grammar Patterns

suggestion + for + noun/-ing

suggestion + that-clause

make + a suggestion

at + someone's + suggestion

Usage Note

Often followed by a that-clause using the subjunctive form of the verb (e.g., 'suggested that the meeting be moved'). In everyday speech, some speakers use 'should' instead of the subjunctive.

Common Mistakes

He gave me a suggestion to go to the doctor.
He suggested that I go to the doctor.' or 'He gave me the suggestion that I go to the doctor.
'suggestion' is less natural with a to-infinitive; use 'suggest that + clause' instead.
I have a suggestion for improve the system.
I have a suggestion for improving the system.
a noun or -ing form follows 'suggestion for', not a bare verb.

2. a meaning communicated indirectly, so that the listener must work out what the s

2.nounB2
Definition

a meaning communicated indirectly, so that the listener must work out what the speaker intends rather than being told plainly.

Example

Constanza took her boss's comment as a suggestion that she was not working hard enough.

suggestion + that-clause for indirect meaning

The article contained a strong suggestion that the company had been hiding its losses.

Common collocations
  • take something as a suggestion
  • contain a suggestion
  • avoid any suggestion
  • strong suggestion
  • slight suggestion
Synonyms
  • hint

    more deliberate and friendly — a hint is often an intentional clue

  • implication

    stronger than suggestion — the meaning is logically necessary from what was said

  • insinuation

    more negative than suggestion — implies something unpleasant or damaging

Antonyms
  • statement

    a direct, explicit expression rather than an indirect one

Grammar Patterns

suggestion + that-clause

there is/was a suggestion that...

Usage Note

Often used in negative contexts to imply something negative or critical (e.g., 'a suggestion that someone is dishonest'). The noun is usually singular in this sense.

Common Mistakes

He gave a suggestion that it might rain without actually saying it.
There was a suggestion in his comment that it might rain.
the noun itself already carries the indirect meaning; avoid redundant phrases like 'without actually saying it.'

3. a tiny amount of something that is only just noticeable, such as a mild taste, f

3.nounB2
Definition

a tiny amount of something that is only just noticeable, such as a mild taste, faint smell, or slight colour present in something.

Example

The sauce had a faint suggestion of lemon that made it taste fresh.

collocation: a suggestion of [flavour]

There was a suggestion of sadness in Élise's voice when she talked about leaving.

collocation: a suggestion of [emotion]

Common collocations
  • a suggestion of lemon / garlic / spice
  • a suggestion of sadness / regret / anger
  • a suggestion of blue / green / pink
  • just a suggestion of
  • slight suggestion
  • faint suggestion
Synonyms
  • trace

    more neutral — can refer to any very small amount, not necessarily a sensory impression

  • hint

    very similar to suggestion in this sense, often interchangeable ('a hint of lemon')

  • touch

    less precise than suggestion — can mean a small amount of something added deliberately

Grammar Patterns

a suggestion of + noun

just a suggestion of...

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the singular form 'a suggestion of + noun'. Describes sensory impressions — tastes, smells, colours, or emotions that are present but not strong.

Common Mistakes

There were suggestions of smoke in the air.
There was a suggestion of smoke in the air.
this sense uses the singular almost exclusively.

4. the way that a thought or belief can enter a person's mind and change how they f

4.nounC1
Definition

the way that a thought or belief can enter a person's mind and change how they feel or act, even though they are not fully aware that it is happening — often discussed in hypnosis, advertising, and the placebo effect.

Example

Under hypnosis, Kenji was highly responsive to the power of suggestion from the therapist.

phrase: the power of suggestion

The placebo effect shows the power of suggestion — patients heal because they believe they will.

Common collocations
  • the power of suggestion
  • open to suggestion
  • through suggestion
  • by suggestion
Synonyms
  • hypnosis

    more specific — hypnosis is a technique that uses suggestion, but also involves an altered state of consciousness

  • influence

    broader than suggestion — can be conscious or unconscious, and does not necessarily involve an idea entering the mind indirectly

Grammar Patterns

the power of suggestion

through suggestion

by suggestion

open to suggestion

Usage Note

Unlike the other senses, this one is uncountable and usually refers to a psychological mechanism rather than a specific thing that is suggested. Common in discussions of hypnosis, advertising, and the placebo effect.

Common Mistakes

The doctor used suggestions to help the patient relax.
The doctor used the power of suggestion to help the patient relax.
this psychological sense is uncountable and typically appears in the fixed expression 'the power of suggestion.'
Idioms

at/on somebody’s suggestion

idiom

This phrase means that someone did something because another person recommended it.

On Maya's suggestion, we visited the new art museum downtown.

Did you take that job at your father's suggestion?

Word family

  • suggest
    verbA2
  • suggestive
    adjectiveB2
  • suggestible
    adjectiveC1
  • suggestively
    adverbC1
  • suggested
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words involve offering an idea to someone, but they differ in strength and context. A suggestion is a relatively neutral idea put forward for consideration — you can make a suggestion without expecting it to be followed. A proposal is more formal and structured, often used in business or official settings where a decision will be made. A recommendation carries more weight than a suggestion: the speaker is actively stating that this option is the best one. Advice focuses on what is good for the person receiving it, rather than on the idea itself. For example, a friend might suggest trying a new restaurant (a casual idea); a doctor would recommend a specific treatment (strong professional opinion); and a financial advisor would propose an investment plan (formal, structured). Advice is what you give when someone asks for guidance on a personal situation.

suggestion ↗proposal ↗recommendation ↗advice ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • make a suggestion
  • offer a suggestion
  • accept a suggestion
  • reject a suggestion
  • at someone's suggestion
  • on someone's suggestion

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Suggestion comes from the Latin word 'suggestio', meaning 'a bringing up from below' or 'a prompting'. This was formed from 'suggerere' (sub- 'up from under' + gerere 'to bring, carry'). The word entered English through Old French 'suggestion' in the 14th century, originally meaning 'a prompting to evil' (the Devil's suggestion), before broadening to any idea put forward. The psychological sense emerged in the late 19th century with the rise of hypnotherapy.