intentional

1 of 2

adjective

in·​ten·​tion·​al in-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)nəl 

1

: done by intention or design : intended

intentional damage

2

a

: of or relating to epistemological intention

b

: having external reference

intentionality

in-ˌten(t)-shə-ˈna-lə-tē 

noun

intentionality

2 of 2

noun

in·​ten·​tion·​al·​i·​ty ə̇n‧ˌtenchəˈnalətē 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being intentional

specifically : the characteristic of being conscious of intending an object

three forms of intentionality or objective reference, idea, judgment, and desire

—Vivian J. McGill

Synonyms of intentional

Adjective

• deliberate
• conscious
• voluntary
• intended

Choose the Right Synonym for intentional

voluntary, intentional, deliberate, willing mean done or brought about of one's own will.

voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion.

a voluntary confession

intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.

the intentional concealment of vital information

deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences.

deliberate acts of sabotage

willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another.

willing obedience

Examples of intentional in a Sentence

Adjective

an intentional and premeditated killing

I apologize for the omission of your name from the list. It was not intentional.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Trump has repeatedly insisted that the damage to the Reflecting Pool resulted from intentional vandalism, claiming that vandals cut a gash hundreds of feet long in the pool’s protective lining. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

That’s an intentional strategy to catch the eye of commuters who might be compelled, on a whim, to stop for a quick game or two. — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026

Hathaway, meanwhile, throws herself into her part wholeheartedly (of course) but is working with a character who, even allowing for intentional ambiguity, cannot possibly be made sense of. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

Yet in most business environments, teams walk into high-stakes meetings with no intentional preparation. — Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Medieval Latin intentionalitat-, intentionalitas, from intentionalis intentional + Latin -itat-, -itas -ity

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for intentional

• attentional
• conventional
• dimensional
• extensional
• intensional
• interventional
• nonconventional
• nondimensional
• unconventional
• unintentional
• multidimensional
• unidimensional

Kids Definition

intentional

adjective

in·​ten·​tion·​al in-ˈtench-nəl 

-ˈten-chən-ᵊl

: done by intention : not accidental

intentionally

-ˈtench-nə-lē 

-ˈten-chən-ᵊl-ē

adverb

Legal Definition

intentional

adjective

in·​ten·​tion·​al in-ˈten-chə-nəl 

: done with intent

an intentional tort

intentional discrimination

intentionally adverb