intended
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- intendedly adverb
- intendedness noun
- quasi-intended adjective
- unintended adjective
- unintendedly adverb
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.
The measures are intended to prevent Lake Powell from falling so low that water would no longer reach intakes to turn turbines and generate electricity — a point it could have reached by August.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Will this team play a bigger role in season 3 if Robby leaves as intended?
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
“We really want the public to know what these e-motorcycles are capable of, that they are not intended for street use and shouldn’t be in the hands of children.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
He posted a message on Facebook making clear he intended to rebuild his party: "The work begins. Let's reorganise ourselves and keep fighting for the Hungarian people!"
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Dasch, Burger, Haupt, Heinck, and Quirin each swore they never intended to go through with the sabotage plan.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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.
