An indication or hint.
"It was the first intimation that Johnny was gonna get lucky."
The action of making something known, especially in an indirect way.
"She took ages to come to the intimation that she had no slippers on."
Mid-15c., "action of making known," from Old French intimation (14c.), from Late Latin intimationem (nominative intimatio) "an announcement," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin intimare "make known, announce, impress" (see intimate (adj.)). Meaning "action of expressing by suggestion or hint, indirect imparting of information" predates to 1530s.