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Glite Dictionary
to make mention of

to make mention of

6 3.6
To briefly say something about a person or thing
  • phrasal verb
  • /meɪk ˈmɛnʃən ʌv/
  • Formal
translation icon : mencionar
  • In her speech, she made mention of the importance of community service.
  • made mention of the fact
  • also made mention of
  • report made mention of

Examples

  • From then on, most of the stories published about Monk made mention of his strange behavior.

    Academic text (2010)

  • So I just made mention of the group that we have here in Boston.

  • Did he ever make mention of any enemies, business or otherwise?

    Beat the Devil (1953)

  • Nobody has made mention of it, and it's the most obvious sign of someone sleeping in a car!

    Blog text (25)

  • In a letter to his wife, Shelley makes mention of just such a thing.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He'll make mention of your victory during tomorrow's cabinet meeting.

    Sunshine (1999)

  • Your correspondence made mention of some particulars you wish to discuss in person.

    Damsel (2024)

  • Sometimes, if I read something that really impressed me, I would make mention of it or, if it were brief, send along a copy with my letter.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • People started whistling or making mention of the fact that, you know, the show wasn't going as planned.

    Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

  • Oh, and before I go, I must make mention of the artwork by Nitin Gargin.

    Blog text (28)

Synonyms

to talk about
vsto make mention of
∞ 1.3

Speak with someone about a subject

is shorter, usually only a quick passing reference
to mention
vsto make mention of
∞ 1.0

To briefly refer to someone or something in words

is the same but stresses brief passing reference
to refer
vsto make mention of
818 2.4

Talk about someone or something to draw attention to them

is less formal and more about a quick passing note
to speak of
vsto make mention of
532 1.9

To talk about someone or something

is mainly brief and often in passing rather than detailed
to mention it
vsto make mention of
282 1.6

To say something in conversation or writing

focuses on a quick passing reference rather than detailed talk
to talk of
vsto make mention of
127 2.5

Mention something in conversation

is used for short passing speech rather than full discussion
to allude
vsto make mention of
88 6.5

To mention something without saying it directly

is direct and explicitly brief rather than indirect hinting

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

to omit
66 3.4

Leave out something, for example a name, on purpose or by accident

How Much

to debate
474 2.8
to discuss
∞ 1.6
to bring up
788 2.6
to make mention of
  • Formal
6 3.6

Surface Forms

make mention of infinitive
made mention of past
made mention of past participle
making mention of present participle
makes mention of third person singular

Morphology

make + mention + of

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'make' (perform/cause) with 'mention' (to speak briefly) plus the preposition 'of' marking the referent; it functions as a light-verb construction meaning simply 'to mention'. Comparable constructions exist in many languages (e.g. Spanish 'hacer mención de'), so a B1 learner who knows the words would readily understand it.

Etymology

The phrase make mention of comes from the simple image of 'making' a small spoken note: to make a brief mention is like saying a quick, small point about something. So, it means 'to refer to' or 'briefly speak about' someone or something.