Synonym Chooser

How does the noun intention contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of intention are aim, design, end, goal, intent, objective, object, and purpose. While all these words mean "what one intends to accomplish or attain," intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about.

announced his intention to marry

When is aim a more appropriate choice than intention?

The synonyms aim and intention are sometimes interchangeable, but aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.

her aim was to raise film to an art form

When can design be used instead of intention?

The words design and intention are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, design implies a more carefully calculated plan.

the order of events came by accident, not design

Where would end be a reasonable alternative to intention?

Although the words end and intention have much in common, end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such.

willing to use any means to achieve his end

When would goal be a good substitute for intention?

In some situations, the words goal and intention are roughly equivalent. However, goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.

worked years to reach her goals

When is it sensible to use intent instead of intention?

While in some cases nearly identical to intention, intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

the clear intent of the statute

How are the words object and end related as synonyms of intention?

Object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need.

his constant object was the achievement of pleasure

In what contexts can objective take the place of intention?

The words objective and intention can be used in similar contexts, but objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.

their objective is to seize the oil fields

When might purpose be a better fit than intention?

While the synonyms purpose and intention are close in meaning, purpose suggests a more settled determination.

being successful was her purpose in life

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of intention The bets were allegedly all made with the intention of profiting off the scheme at the expense of the betting companies. Dan Gallo, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025 Teams weigh in Despite all of the energy in both Missouri and Kansas and speculation over the teams’ intentions, neither team has committed to a location on either side of State Line Road. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2025 The intention was for Noah's parents, Ilan Roklov (Paul Ben-Victor) and Bina Roklov (Tovah Feldshuh), to meet Joanne's parents, Lynn (Faracy) and Henry Williams (Michael Hitchcock). Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 The intention is always to try and support people. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for intention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intention
Noun
  • Swets, who has expertise with special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), formed Greenland Exploration with his investment and merchant banking firm, FG Nexus, and agreed to merge with March GL and find a suitable SPAC to take the company public.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Sea lines of communication, or SLOCs, are the principal maritime routes between ports used for trade, military or other purposes.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • When built around real clinical intent, AI can help sort and score incoming data, identify what requires escalation, and suppress what does not.
    Scott R. Schell, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
  • This was a mob intent on violence against Gardaí.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Officials at the Water Reclamation Authority are pursuing new goals after the utility was officially released last year from a pair of longstanding legal agreements that required the utility to address sewer overflows, leading to major investments across the system.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Before the judges revealed their scores, Leavitt told cohost Julianne Hough that her sole goal in week 6 was to redeem her week 5 stumble during a soulful contemporary routine dedicated to her husband.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Both of those rankings praised the city for offering a sense of community, mountain scenery and a bustling arts scene.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2025
  • There was a sense of Diana and Charles arriving at Westminster Abbey in separate coaches on the day of the coronation.
    Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The municipal panel that oversees the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority endorsed the five-year rate plan in June.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Next summer, the plan is for a barge to bring over the drilling rig to start the first well.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and her father’s, the past takes on new meaning.
    Nora Dahlia, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • To understand the soul may have required silk, cheesecloth, cotton wool, even offal—but these mundane materials, Warner shows us, held meaning.
    David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The aim is to drill the first well slowly, entering five different geologic zones and testing for oil and gas in each of them.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The following month, Lana Del Rey posted a song snippet taking aim at Cain.
    Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The ring is designed to integrate directly with the Reebok Fitness App, which offers more than 1,000 hours of fitness and wellness content.
    Emily Burns, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Intention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intention. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

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