intentional

American  

[in-ten-shuh-nl] / ɪnˈtɛn ʃə nl /

adjective

1. done with intention or on purpose; intended.

   an intentional insult.

   Synonyms:

   planned, designed

   Antonyms:

   accidental

2. of or relating to intention or purpose.

3. Metaphysics.

   1. pertaining to an appearance, phenomenon, or representation in the mind; phenomenal; representational.

   2. pertaining to the capacity of the mind to refer to an existent or nonexistent object.

   3. pointing beyond itself, as consciousness or a sign.

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intentional British  

/ ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl /

adjective

1. performed by or expressing intention; deliberate

2. of or relating to intention or purpose

3. philosophy

   1. of or relating to the capacity of the mind to refer to different kinds of objects

   2. (of an object) existing only as the object of some mental attitude rather than in reality, as a unicorn in she hopes to meet a unicorn See also intensional

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Related Words

See deliberate.

Other Word Forms

• intentionality noun
• intentionally adverb
• subintentional adjective

Etymology

Origin of intentional

First recorded in 1520–30; intention + -al ¹

Example Sentences

"Introducing a radio station in season five is intentional and serves a purpose," she writes.

From BBC

They also noted that international law restricted the death penalty to the most serious crimes, meaning intentional killing.

From BBC

These findings suggest that for people who are otherwise sedentary or low-active, focusing on longer, more intentional walking sessions could be an effective way to improve health outcomes, even without increasing total step counts.

From Science Daily

No, it’s not an intentional Easter egg for “Stranger Things” fans, but there’s a lot of Easter eggs for George fans.

From The Wall Street Journal

"But it's taught me to enter into discussions being more intentional and thoughtful, and also backing myself up."

From BBC

Related Words

• calculated
• premeditated
• voluntary
• willful