intimation

An intimation is not a loud or direct message. It is more like a quiet sign of something to come. It can mean a subtle hint, an indirect sign, or a slight feeling that something may be true or may happen soon. If you feel a chill in the air, that could be an intimation of winter. If someone pauses before answering a question, that hesitation may be an intimation that they are hiding something. The word suggests that nothing has been fully revealed yet, but you have noticed a small sign.

The word "intimation" comes from the Latin intimare, meaning "to inform" or "make known." However, an intimation isn't a direct announcement; it's a more delicate and indirect way of conveying information. It suggests a subtle hint, a vague suggestion, or a feeling that something is about to happen or is true.

You might have an intimation of danger from a strange silence in the woods or from a sudden feeling that something is wrong. You might also have an intimation of good news from a friend's smile or tone of voice. It is not solid proof. It is a hint, sign, or impression that something is going on.

Historically, "intimation" was also used in formal contexts to mean an official notice or warning. That use still exists in some legal or formal writing, where "due intimation" means proper notice. In everyday English, though, the word is more often used for subtle hints and quiet signs.

In literature, authors use intimations to build suspense and foreshadow events. A character noticing a dark shadow or hearing an unsettling sound could be an intimation of trouble ahead. Think of William Wordsworth's famous poem "Intimations of Immortality," where he explores fleeting glimpses of childhood wonder and the divine.

So, if you sense something without fully understanding it, or if you catch a whisper of what might be, that's an intimation—a subtle signal from the world around you.