Dictionary.com
definitions

intent

1
[in-tent]
|||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR intent ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

something that is intended; purpose; design; intention: The original intent of the committee was to raise funds.
the act or fact of intending, as to do something: criminal intent.
Law. the state of a person's mind that directs his or her actions toward a specific object.
meaning or significance.

RELATED CONTENT

For All Intents and Purposes vs. For All Intensive PurposesBoth for all intents and purposes and for all intensive purposes are widely used to mean “for all practical purposes” or “virtually.” But which one is correct? The standard idiom is for all intents and purposes, not for all intensive purposes, though if you were to say these two forms out loud it might be hard to tell the difference between the two. For all …
READ MORE
Elon Musk: Stratospheric Words Of A Mad ScientistRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

hell-bent, decided, preoccupied, resolved, firm, set, bent, watching, steady, bound, deep, alert, attending, eager, earnest, absorbed, attentive, committed, concentrated, decisive

Nearby words

  1. intensity,
  2. intensive,
  3. intensive care,
  4. intensive care unit,
  5. intensively,
  6. intention,
  7. intention movement,
  8. intention spasm,
  9. intention tremor,
  10. intentional

Idioms

    to/for all intents and purposes, for all practical purposes; practically speaking; virtually: The book is, to all intents and purposes, a duplication of earlier efforts.

Origin of intent

1
1175–1225; Middle English < Late Latin intentus an aim, purpose, Latin: a stretching out (inten(dere) to intend + -tus suffix of v. action); replacing Middle English entent(e) < Old French < Late Latin, as above
SYNONYMS FOR intent
1. See intention. 2. aim, plan, plot.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR intent ON THESAURUS.COM
Can be confusedintense intensive intents

intent

2
[in-tent]

adjective

firmly or steadfastly fixed or directed, as the eyes or mind: an intent gaze.
having the attention sharply focused or fixed on something: intent on one's job.
determined or resolved; having the mind or will fixed on some goal: intent on revenge.
earnest; intense: an intent person.

Origin of intent

2
1600–10; < Latin intentus taut, intent, past participle of intendere to intend; cf. intense
ANTONYMS FOR intent
3. irresolute.
SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR intent ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formsin·tent·ly, adverbin·tent·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for intent

British Dictionary definitions for intent

intent

noun

something that is intended; aim; purpose; design
the act of intending
law the will or purpose with which one does an act
implicit meaning; connotation
to all intents and purposes for all practical purposes; virtually

adjective

firmly fixed; determined; concentratedan intent look
(postpositive; usually foll by on or upon) having the fixed intention (of); directing one's mind or energy (to)intent on committing a crime
Derived Formsintently, adverbintentness, noun

Word Origin for intent

C13 (in the sense: intention): from Late Latin intentus aim, intent, from Latin: a stretching out; see intend
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for intent
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with intent

intent

see to all intents and purposes.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.