intention

noun

in·ten·tion | \ in-ˈten(t)-shən

Definition of intention

1 : a determination to act in a certain way : resolve

2 : import, significance

3a : what one intends to do or bring about

b : the object for which a prayer, mass, or pious act is offered

4 : a process or manner of healing of incised wounds

5 : concept especially : a concept considered as the product of attention directed to an object of knowledge

6 intentions plural : purpose with respect to marriage

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about intention

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Choose the Right Synonym for intention

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 intention in a Sentence

She announced her intention to run for governor. He seemed to think that I was trying to cause problems, but that was never my intention. He bought a dog with the intention of training it to attack intruders. He has good intentions, but his suggestions aren't really helpful.

Recent Examples on the Web

The test was surprising because, as far as anyone knew, India had not publicly announced any intention to develop and test an anti-satellite weapon system. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "India Smashes Satellite in a Surprise Test of a New Space Weapon System," 28 Mar. 2019 President Trump's intention to withdraw from a landmark Cold War-era treaty drew a heated response from the Kremlin on Monday, with Russian officials saying the country would respond if the U.S. began building new missiles. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "US decision to withdraw from Cold War-era nuke treaty draws rebuke from Russia," 23 Oct. 2018 Salad Chopper and Bowl Despite the best intentions to slice that leftover chicken breast or salmon on a lovely bed of greens for lunch tomorrow, chopping greens and vegetables can be tedious work. — Cathy Deimeke, USA TODAY, "Ask a Doc: What can I do to make healthy eating fun and easy for my kids?," 4 July 2018 North Korea has claimed that the presence of American troops in the South is proof that the U.S. has hostile intentions in the region. — Deb Riechmann, The Seattle Times, "Trump to meet North Korean leader Feb. 27-28 in Vietnam," 6 Feb. 2019 But even when the date changes, people often stay the same—despite their best intentions. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "The Best January Bucket List to Help You Stick to Your Resolutions," 1 Jan. 2019 On July 10th America gave notice of its intention to place 10% tariffs on another $200bn-worth of Chinese goods, including swordfish, magnifying glasses, vacuum cleaners and red dye. — The Economist, "Donald Trump insists on trade reciprocity. But what kind?," 12 July 2018 Your intention is to be in that championship window for longer than a couple years, right? — Kevin Acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Q&A: Ron Fowler isn't happy, still believes Padres will be better for struggle," 10 July 2018 Attorney General Andy Beshear filed his intention to run for governor Monday with the state. — Tom Loftus, The Courier-Journal, "Andy Beshear becomes first to announce run for Kentucky governor," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intention.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near intention

intensive pronoun

intensive proposition

Statistics for intention

Last Updated

14 Apr 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for intention

The first known use of intention was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for intention

intention

noun

English Language Learners Definition of intention

: the thing that you plan to do or achieve : an aim or purpose

See the full definition for intention in the English Language Learners Dictionary

intention

noun

in·ten·tion | \ in-ˈten-shən

Kids Definition of intention

1 : a determination to act in a particular way She announced her intention to run for president.

2 : an aim or plan It's his intention to win.

intention

noun

in·ten·tion | \ in-ˈten-chən

Medical Definition of intention

1 : a determination to act in a certain way

2 : a process or manner of healing of incised wounds — see first intention, second intention

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intention

noun

in·ten·tion | \ in-ˈten-chən

Legal Definition of intention

: something intended : intent the intention of the testator

Note: Intent is more commonly used than intention when speaking technically especially about the criminal and tort concepts of intent (senses 1a and 1b).