meant to (be/do something)

idiom

: intended to (do or be something)

I was never meant to teach.

They knew as soon as they met that they were meant to be together.

I thought we could be friends, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

British : supposed to (be or do something)

The buses are meant to arrive every 15 minutes.

Brighton is meant to be very beautiful at this time of year.

Examples of meant to (be/do something) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web So, can a president use U.S. troops to police Americans and quash political protests? Many of Trump's supporters say yes, citing a 200-year-old law meant to curb rebellions. —

Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2024 Several Russian banks were booted from the financial infrastructure known as Swift, a move meant to complicate trade and foreign investment. —

Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024 The dishes are meant to be approachable, and the writing encourages home cooks to trust their own impulses. —

Tori Latham, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2024 It’s meant to free participants from the monotony and humiliation of wage work. —

Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meant to (be/do something)

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meant to (be/do something).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Cite this Entry

Style

“Meant to (be/do something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meant%20to%20%28be%2Fdo%20something%29. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.

Copy Citation