Mention

/ˈmɛnʃən/

verbBeginner🔥Very CommonAction
2 meanings2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

To refer to someone or something briefly, often in passing or without much detail.

/ˈmɛnʃən/

verbneutralBeginner
Action

To refer to something briefly or casually.

He mentioned his trip to Italy during the meeting.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're chatting with your friend and quickly bring up a topic without going into a lot of detail. That's mentioning something! For instance, if you say, 'I saw a great movie last night,' you've mentioned a movie.

👶 For kids: To talk about something, but not for very long.

More Examples

2

She didn't mention any problems she was having.

3

The report mentions a few potential risks.

How It's Used

Everyday Conversation

"She mentioned the party in passing."

Journalism

"The article mentions several key figures in the investigation."

2

A brief or casual reference to something or someone.

/ˈmɛnʃən/

nounneutralBeginner
Information

A brief or casual reference to something.

The book makes several mentions of the author's early life.

💡 Simply: Think of it as a short note about something. For example, if you say, 'There was a mention of pizza,' it means someone briefly talked about pizza.

👶 For kids: When you talk about something for a short time.

More Examples

2

There was no mention of his previous crimes.

3

A quick mention of the project was included in the email.

How It's Used

News Reporting

"The article made no mention of the suspect's motives."

Legal

"There was no mention of the specific clause in the contract."

Tip:Think of a 'mention' as a brief comment or a quick reference to something.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

Not to mention

Used to introduce something additional that is also worth considering, especially something surprising or important.

"The hotel was dirty and expensive, not to mention the terrible service."

Make mention of

To refer to something.

"The report made no mention of the missing funds."

From Middle English mencioun, from Old French mencion (modern French mention), from Latin mentio (“a calling to mind, remembrance”), from meminī (“to remember”).

The word 'mention' has been used since the 14th century, evolving from Old French and Latin roots to refer to the act of bringing something to mind or referring to something briefly.

Memory tip

Think of 'mention' as a quick note you make, or a casual nod towards a subject.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to remember"

brief mentionquick mentionmention ofno mentionmake mentionfrequent mention

Common misspellings

mentinmensionmentchion

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written