Etymology : Late Latin intimatus, past participle of intimare to put in, announce, from Latin intimus innermost, superlative of Old Latin interus inward; more at INTERIOR
Pronunciation : in-t&-"mAt
Function : transitive verb
Date : 1522
1. close friend; confidant. drop a hint, suggest, insinuate, imply; announce, declare, state (Archaic). close, familiar; personal, private; warm, friendly; involving sexual relations; detailed; inner. intimate\in"ti*mate\, n. an intimate friend or associate; a confidant. --gov. of the tongue.intimate \in"ti*mate\ , v. t. [imp. & p. p. intimated ; p. pr. & vb. n. intimating.] [l. intimatus, p. p. of intimare to put, bring, drive, or press into, to announce, make known, from intimus the inmost. see:
intimate, a.].
2. to announce; to declare; to publish; to communicate; to make known. [obs.] he, incontinent, did proclaim and intimate open war. hall. so both conspiring 'gan to intimate each other's grief.
3. to suggest obscurely or indirectly; to refer to remotely; to give slight notice of; to hint; as, he intimated his intention of resigning his office. the names of simple ideas and substances, with the abstract ideas in the mind, intimate some real existence, from which was derived their original pattern.intimate \in"ti*mate\ , a. [formerly intime, l. intimus, a superl. corresponding to the compar. interior: cf. f. intime. the form intimate is due to confusion with intimate, v. t. see:
interior.].
4. innermost; inward; internal; deep-seated; hearty. "i knew from intimate impulse.".
5. near; close; direct; thorough; complete. he was honored with an intimate and immediate admission.
6. close in friendship or acquaintance; familiar; confidential; as, an intimate friend.
7. Innermost; inward; internal; deep-seated; hearty.
8. Near; close; direct; thorough; complete.
9. Close in friendship or acquaintance; familiar; confidential; as, an intimate friend.
10. An intimate friend or associate; a confidant.
11. To announce; to declare; to publish; to communicate; to make known.
12. To suggest obscurely or indirectly; to refer to remotely; to give slight notice of; to hint; as, he intimated his intention of resigning his office. give to understand; "I insinuated that I did not like his wife" marked by close aquaintance, association, or familiarity; "intimate friend"; "intimate relations between economics, politics, and legal principles" - V.L.
13. Parrington thoroughly acquainted with through study or experience; "this girl, so intimate with nature"-W.H.Hudson; "knowledgeaIble about the technique of painting"- Herbert Read involved in a sexual relationship; "the intimate relations between husband and wife"; "she had been intimate with many men".
14. 1. If you have an intimate friendship with someone, you know them very well and like them a lot. I discussed with my intimate friends whether I would immediately have a baby. + intimately in·ti·mate·ly He did not feel he had got to know them intimately.
15. If two people are in an intimate relationship, they are involved with each other in a loving or sexual way. their intimate moments with their boyfriends. + intimately in·ti·mate·ly You have to be willing to get to know yourself and your partner intimately.
16. An intimate conversation or detail, for example, is very personal and private. He wrote about the intimate details of his family life = private + intimately in·ti·mate·ly It was the first time they had attempted to talk intimately.
17. approval If you use intimate to describe an occasion or the atmosphere of a place, you like it because it is quiet and pleasant, and seems suitable for close conversations between friends. an intimate candlelit dinner for two.
18. An intimate connection between ideas or organizations, for example, is a very strong link between them. an intimate connection between madness and wisdom + intimately in·ti·mate·ly Property and equities are intimately connected in Hong Kong.
19. An intimate knowledge of something is a deep and detailed knowledge of it. He surprised me with his intimate knowledge of Kierkegaard and Schopenhauer. = thorough + intimately in·ti·mate·ly a golden age of musicians whose work she knew intimately.
20. If you intimate something, you say it in an indirect way. He went on to intimate that he was indeed contemplating a shake-up of the company He had intimated to the French and Russians his readiness to come to a settlement. = hint. to make people understand what you mean without saying it directly intimate that.