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

But Sharka and others in the industry predict that future architectures may allow for less centralized computing power, enabling more companies to compete with smaller, less power-intensive data centers. —Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026

That includes whether to reestablish specialized care, such as intensive pediatric services, or rely on nearby institutions like Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for certain treatments. —Eva Andersen, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026

Noun

The bootcamp in Goa — a whole month of 6 AM starts, five-minute planks, busking challenges, dance intensives, group songwriting sessions and weekly showcases — was where five strangers from various corners of India became something. —Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 27 Feb. 2026

Anaheim Ballet is offering 2026 summer intensives Anaheim Ballet School’s 2026 summer programs are taking auditions. —Andrea Manes, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026

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