- a variation of well-meaning.
well-intentioned
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of well-intentioned
First recorded in 1590–1600
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Now that we’ve confirmed that a somewhat edgier choice is better than a well-intentioned embarrassment, we should file away this memory and never speak of it again.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
In Grande's video appeal in 2023, she said that even if concerned onlookers thought they were "saying something good or well-intentioned" about someone's appearance and wellbeing, they should think twice.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
The church’s turn to taxpayers was likely well-intentioned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
To backpedal for a moment: While even the most well-intentioned president can’t fix everything that comes across his desk, this one apparently spotted a problem beneath his that he could do something about.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
Ser Barristan suggested a tourney instead; his orphans could ride at rings and fight a melee with blunted weapons, he said, a suggestion Dany knew was as hopeless as it was well-intentioned.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
