Link Centre Dictionary

intimate

in·ti·mate

UK/ˈɪn.tɪ.meɪt/ US/ˈɪnʌmʌt/ fairly common
adjective (6) verb (2) noun (1)

adjective

1.

marked by close aquaintance, association, or familiarity

  • “intimate friend”
  • “intimate relations between economics, politics, and legal principles” V.L. Parrington
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2.

having or fostering a warm or friendly atmosphere; especially through smallness and informality

  • “had a cozy chat”
  • “a relaxed informal manner”
  • “an intimate cocktail lounge”
  • “the small room was cozy and intimate”
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3.

having mutual interests or affections; of established friendship

  • “on familiar terms”
  • “pretending she is on an intimate footing with those she slanders”
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4.

involved in a sexual relationship

  • “the intimate (or sexual) relations between husband and wife”
  • “she had been intimate with many men”
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5.

innermost or essential

  • “the inner logic of Cubism”
  • “the internal contradictions of the theory”
  • “the intimate structure of matter”
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6.

thoroughly acquainted with through study or experience

  • “this girl, so intimate with nature” W.H.Hudson
  • “knowledgeaIble about the technique of painting” Herbert Read
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verb

1.

give to understand

  • “I insinuated that I did not like his wife”
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2.

imply as a possibility

  • “The evidence suggests a need for more clarification”
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noun

1.

someone to whom private matters are confided

Synonyms

Origin

Borrowed from Latin intimātus, the perfect passive participle of intimō (“to put or bring into, to impress, to make familiar”) (see -ate (adjective forming suffix)), from intimus (“inmost, innermost, most intimate”), superlative of intus (“within”), from in (“in”); see interior.

Phrases

  • intimate apparel
  • intimate area
  • intimate partner violence
  • intimate parts
  • intimate relations

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.