intensive

1 of 2

adjective

in·​ten·​sive in-ˈten(t)-siv 

: of, relating to, or marked by intensity or intensification: such as

a

: highly concentrated

intensive study

b

: tending to strengthen or increase

especially : tending to give force or emphasis

intensive adverb

c

: constituting or relating to a method designed to increase productivity by the expenditure of more capital and labor rather than by increase in scope

intensive farming

intensively adverb

intensiveness noun

intensive

2 of 2

noun

: an intensive linguistic element

Did you know?

intensive purposes or intents and purposes?

If you are casting about for the phrase that is used to say that “one thing has the same effect or result as something else,” you are looking for for all intents and purposes; you are not looking for intensive purposes. Your purposes may indeed be intensive in some way (we don’t want to know the details), but these two words are not commonly found together as an idiom. The pairing of intents and purposes comes from a 1546 Act of Parliament conveying that King Henry VIII had unlimited power to interpret laws; it contained the phrase “to all intents, constructions, and purposes.”

Synonyms of intensive

Adjective

• intense
• fierce
• ferocious
• deep
• terrible

Examples of intensive in a Sentence

Adjective

She is taking an intensive course in business writing.

Maintaining the house's gardens requires intensive effort.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Geneva — America’s top diplomat struck a relentlessly upbeat tone in Geneva, after a rollercoaster day of intensive negotiations aimed at convincing a skeptical Ukraine to accept the latest US proposals to end Russia’s brutal war. —Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025

Dinner at Frasca is an intensive affair that can last up to three hours. —Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025

Noun

The total number of international students pursuing non-degree study — including certificates, exchange programs or English-language intensives — also declined 17%, although non-degree students make up a small percentage of all international students — about 3%. —Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 18 Nov. 2025

The annual fundraiser at which they will be toasted supports the nonprofit institute by collecting funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, intensives, grants, fellowships, a continuum of support and public programming. —Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1604, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1813, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing intensive

• capital-intensive
• intensive care
• intensive care unit
• labor-intensive

Rhymes for intensive

• defensive
• expensive
• extensive
• offensive
• ostensive
• prehensive
• suspensive
• antihypertensive
• apprehensive
• coextensive
• comprehensive
• hypertensive

Kids Definition

intensive

1 of 2 adjective

in·​ten·​sive in-ˈten(t)-siv 

1

: marked by special effort

an intensive campaign

2

: serving to give emphasis

an intensive adverb, as "dreadfully" in "it was dreadfully cold"

intensively adverb

intensiveness noun

intensive

2 of 2 noun

: an intensive word

"quite" is an intensive in "quite a guy"

Medical Definition

intensive

adjective

in·​ten·​sive in-ˈten(t)-siv 

: of, relating to, or marked by an extreme degree especially of dosage, duration, or frequency

high-dose intensive chemotherapy

intensive counseling for eating disorders

intensively adverb

treat intensively