intended
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of intended
Explanation
Something intended is done on purpose. The intended outcome of a meeting is the result that everyone is planning and hoping for. A robber's intended victim is the person whose purse he means to snatch, and the intended destination of a hot air balloon is the spot where its pilot expects to land. An old-fashioned way to use this word is as a noun, meaning "fiancee" or "person I plan to marry." Intended comes from the verb intend, or "plan," from the Latin intendere, "turn one's attention" or "have as a plan."
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.
Intended to supply temporary assistance, they instead trap their residents for years, sometimes decades.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
Intended for consumers buying goods for personal use from abroad, some businesses have used it to avoid paying tax on their goods.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2025
Intended to celebrate the natural world, the chapel is instead being destroyed by it.
From Seattle Times • May 17, 2024
Intended for public health emergencies, this program has narrow criteria to pay out and sets a limit of $50,000, with stringent standards of proof.
From New York Times • May 3, 2024
Intended to right the wrongs of years of exclusion, the programs have swelled the number of women, blacks, and Latinos on campuses.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
