Definition of insinuation

The word "insinuation" originates from the Latin word "insinuatio," which means "smooth sliding" or "sliding in." This Latin term was borrowed by the French in the Middle Ages, where it took the form "insinuation." The French then introduced the word to the English language during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. The English word "insinuation" originally had the meaning of "something slipping or sliding in" or "a sliding in of something." By the 16th century, this definition began to change, as the word came to refer more specifically to the act of introducing a suggestion or idea subtly and indirectly, in order to persuade someone of its truth. This new meaning reflected a shift in the way people thought about communication and persuasion, as they came to see the value of subtler, more nuanced methods of persuasion. Today, insinuation continues to be used in this sense, as a way to describe the artful suggestion of an idea or the subtle introduction of a persuasive argument.