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

South Korea’s growing robotics ambitions The runway event arrives as South Korea continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s most robot-intensive economies. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026

Though an exhaustive search was conducted, including an intensive investigation by authorities, private investigators and true-crime enthusiasts, Natalee, who was 18 at the time, was never found. —Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026

Noun

Crowds of new learners trekked to language intensives at a stately Tudor home known as the Esperanto House in a village near Stoke-on-Trent, the hub of England’s post–World War II Esperantist activity. —Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026

At Rio Retreat Center, located on the grounds of The Meadows, programming centers on specialized workshops and multi-day intensives covering trauma, addiction, grief, emotional growth and relationship recovery. —Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 20 May 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