aim

1 of 3

verb

ˈām 

aimed; aiming; aims

intransitive verb

1

: to direct a course

specifically : to point a weapon at an object

Aim carefully before shooting.

2

: aspire, intend

She aims to win.

transitive verb

1

a

: point

aim a gun

b

: to direct toward a specified object or goal

a story aimed at children

2

obsolete : guess, conjecture

aim

2 of 3

noun

plural aims

1

a

: the pointing of a weapon at a mark

She took careful aim.

b

: the ability to hit a target

a shooter with good aim

c

: a weapon's accuracy or effectiveness

The gun's aim is off.

2

: a clearly directed intent or purpose

Our aim is to win.

3

obsolete

a

: conjecture, guess

b

: the directing of effort toward a goal

4

obsolete : mark, target

see also take aim at

AIM

3 of 3

abbreviation

American Indian Movement

Synonyms

Verb

• bend
• cast
• direct
• head
• hold
• level
• pinpoint
• set
• train

Noun

• ambition
• aspiration
• bourne
• bourn
• design
• dream
• end
• goal
• idea
• ideal
• intent
• intention
• mark
• meaning
• object
• objective
• plan
• point
• pretension
• purpose
• target
• thing

Choose the Right Synonym for aim

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal 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

intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

the clear intent of the statute

purpose suggests a more settled determination.

being successful was her purpose in life

design implies a more carefully calculated plan.

the order of events came by accident, not design

aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.

her aim was to raise film to an art form

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

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

his constant object was the achievement of pleasure

objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.

their objective is to seize the oil fields

goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.

worked years to reach her goals

Examples of aim in a Sentence

Verb

He aimed the gun carefully before shooting.

Don't aim that pistol at me!

He aimed carefully before shooting.

Try to aim the antenna in the right direction.

She aimed the telescope at a point in the eastern sky.

She aimed at a point in the eastern sky.

He aimed the stone at the dog but missed.

The throw from the shortstop was poorly aimed.

well-aimed and badly aimed kicks

He aimed his criticism primarily at parents.

Noun

a political movement whose aim is to promote world peace

Our ultimate aim is to create something of lasting value.

The book has two basic aims.

She was unable to achieve her aims.

I started this business with the aim of making a profit.

He fired at the target but his aim was off and he missed.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Mayor Mike Duggan in March proposed the 2025 fiscal year budget, of which $1.46 billion is for the general fund, aimed at boosting spending in multiple areas, including police and fire, retirees, homelessness, expanding the Detroit Department of Transportation and elections department. —Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024

The negotiations aim to achieve a ceasefire and hostage deal. —Alexandra Banner, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024

Benjamin Miller, who served as the director of policy planning at the Department of Sanitation under Mayor David Dinkins, is now an adviser with the Center for Zero Waste Design, an organization that aims to create more sustainable cities. —Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

The campaign aims to shake up people’s perceptions of the brand while building on its legacy for a new generation. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 8 Apr. 2024

By offering both local property management and remote asset management services, the company aims to provide clients with a comprehensive suite of solutions tailored to their unique needs and objectives. —Kyle Russell, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024

By immersing art lovers in the ocean, the museum aims to bring more awareness to the climate crisis. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024

Advertisement The permits and biological opinions that govern state and federal pumping operations include measures aimed at limiting the deaths of fish. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

Research specialist Verdict tipped the nascent market for cyber security solutions aimed at protecting AI applications as one to watch last summer, particularly as regulation of AI tools and products continues to increase. —David Prosser, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Noun

The aim, the agency says, is to move the separate spacecraft to some 144 meters apart, with the Occulter, as a disc, blocking out the sun. —IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024

Where to donate solar eclipse glasses If the owner of a pair of solar eclipse glasses is not planning on globe-trotting to catch a glimpse of the upcoming solar eclipses, there are several organizations collecting viewers with the aim of donating to those who will be on the path of upcoming events. —Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

The leaders of the United States and Japan this week will commit to modernizing their military alliance, with the aim of eventually creating a truly operational hub for the most consequential defense partnership in the Pacific. —Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024

The aim of such a dialogue should be to prevent the country from further violent fragmentation. —Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024

The aim of a ketogenic diet is to stimulate this process in order to promote fat burning and facilitate weight loss. —Robert James and, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2024

And while the aim is never to get that figure to zero, experts are increasingly worried by a specific data point: the nation’s debt to GDP ratio. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024

The aim is not to become an expert on everything but to have a basic knowledge of many things. —Ebony Flake, Essence, 2 Apr. 2024

The larger aim is to challenge the bedrock constitutional principle that the federal government, not the states, has the sole authority to enforce national immigration laws. —Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French aesmer & esmer; Anglo-French aesmer, from a- (from Latin ad-) + esmer to estimate, from Latin aestimare

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing aim

• aim high
• take aim
• take aim at

Kids Definition

aim

1 of 2 verb

ˈām 

1

: to point a weapon

2

: aspire, intend

aims to please

3

: to direct to or toward an object or goal

aim a camera

aim

2 of 2 noun

1

: the directing of a weapon or a missile at a mark

2

: goal sense 2, purpose