noun · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ɪndɪˈkeɪʃən/
rhymes with -eɪʃən
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N D AH0 K EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An act of pointing out or indicating.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A fact that shows that something exists or may happen.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
There's no indication that the fire was caused by criminals.
All the indications point to drink-driving as the cause of the accident.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: symptom, evidence, tip-off
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A mark or another symbol used to represent something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, rare, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mark, token, sign
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A discovery made; information.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
An explanation; a display.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
Any symptom or occurrence in a disease that serves to direct to suitable remedies; the problem that warrants and prompts the use of a diagnostic test, imaging mode, or treatment (e.g., medication, surgical procedure).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: medicine, sciences
Examples
Influenza and suspected influenza are FDA-approved indications for oseltamivir.
In the United States, major depressive disorder is an off-label indication for clomipramine, but in various other countries, it is an approved indication.
The theme of treatment failure of previous treatments plus continuing impairment (pain and poor function) appears among the indications for many types of joint replacement surgery.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A declared approximation of the price at which a traded security is likely to commence trading.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: business, finance
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
a datum about some physical state that is presented to a user by a meter or similar instrument
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he could not believe the meter reading
the barometer gave clear indications of an approaching storm
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: reading, meter reading
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: datum, data point
Narrower terms: clock time, time, miles per hour, mph
9
noun
Meaning 9
something (as a course of action) that is indicated as expedient or necessary
(medicine) a reason to prescribe a drug or perform a procedure
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the presence of bacterial infection was an indication for the use of antibiotics
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: contraindication
Broader terms: reason
12
noun
Meaning 12
the act of indicating or pointing out by name
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: denotation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: naming
History
Etymology
From Old French indication, from Latin indicātiō (“a showing, indicating the value of something; valuation”), from indicō (“point out, indicate, show; value”); see indicate; compare French indication, Spanish indicación, Italian indicazione. By surface analysis, indicate + -ion.
Across languages
Translations
61 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
հայտանիշ
(haytaniš)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Bulgarian:
указание
(ukazanie)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Bulgarian:
показание
(pokazanie)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Chinese Mandarin:
指示
(zhǐshì)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Finnish:
merkki
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Finnish:
viite
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Finnish:
todiste
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Finnish:
osoitus
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
French:
indication
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
German:
Indiz
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Gothic:
𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌽𐍃
(taikns)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Gothic:
𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍅𐌰
(bandwa)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Ancient Greek:
σημεῖον
(sēmeîon)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Ancient Greek:
τεκμήριον
(tekmḗrion)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Hebrew:
סימן
(simán)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Hebrew:
עות
(ot)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Italian:
indicazione
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Latin:
index
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Latin:
specimen
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Māori:
tūtohi
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Māori:
tūtohu
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Norwegian Bokmål:
indikasjon
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Norwegian Bokmål:
mål
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Norwegian Nynorsk:
indikasjon
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Plautdietsch:
Aundiedunk
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Romanian:
indiciu
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Romansh:
indicaziun
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Russian:
указание
(ukazanije)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Scottish Gaelic:
fios
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Spanish:
indicación
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Tagalog:
indikasyon
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Tocharian B:
ṣotri
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Ukrainian:
озна́ка
(oznáka)
— a fact that shows that something exists or may happen
Armenian:
նշան
(nšan)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Belarusian:
знак
(znak)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Bulgarian:
знак
(znak)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Chinese Mandarin:
符號 /符号
(fúhào)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Dutch:
speciaal teken
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Esperanto:
signo
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Finnish:
merkki
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
French:
symbole
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
German:
Zeichen
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
German:
Sonderzeichen
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Greek:
σύμβολο
(sýmvolo)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Hebrew:
סמל
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Hungarian:
jel
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Italian:
simbolo
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Japanese:
記号
(kigō)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Japanese:
符号
(fugō)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Korean:
부호
(buho)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Macedonian:
знак
(znak)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Norwegian Bokmål:
tegn
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Norwegian Nynorsk:
teikn
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Polish:
znak
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Portuguese:
símbolo
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Russian:
знак
(znak)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Spanish:
símbolo
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Swedish:
tecken
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Tagalog:
tanda
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Tagalog:
pananda
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
Ukrainian:
знак
(znak)
— a mark or another symbol used to represent something
