intention

American  

[in-ten-shuhn] / ɪnˈtɛn ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result.

2. the end or object intended; purpose.

   Synonyms:

   goal

3. intentions,

   1. purpose or attitude toward the effect of one's actions or conduct.

      a bungler with good intentions.

   2. purpose or attitude with respect to marriage.

      Our friends are beginning to ask what our intentions are.

4. the act or fact of intending.

5. Logic.

   1. Also called first intention,.  Also called primary intention.  reference by signs, concepts, etc., to concrete things, their properties, classes, or the relationships among them.

   2. Also called second intention,.  Also called secondary intention.  reference to properties, classes, or the relationships among first intentions.

6. Surgery, Medicine/Medical. a manner or process of healing, as in the healing of a lesion or fracture without granulation healing by first intention or the healing of a wound by granulation after suppuration healing by second intention.

7. meaning or significance.

   The intention of his words was clear.

8. the person or thing meant to benefit from a prayer or religious offering.

9. Archaic. intentness.

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intention British  

/ ɪnˈtɛnʃən /

noun

1. a purpose or goal; aim

   it is his intention to reform

2. law the resolve or design with which a person does or refrains from doing an act, a necessary ingredient of certain offences

3. med a natural healing process, as by first intention , in which the edges of a wound cling together with no tissue between, or by second intention , in which the wound edges adhere with granulation tissue

4. (usually plural) design or purpose with respect to a proposal of marriage (esp in the phrase honourable intentions )

5. an archaic word for meaning intentness

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Related Words

Intention, intent, purpose all refer to a wish that one means to carry out. Intention is the general word: His intention is good. Intent is chiefly legal or literary: attack with intent to kill. Purpose implies having a goal or determination to achieve something: Her strong sense of purpose is reflected in her studies.

Other Word Forms

• intentionless adjective
• misintention noun
• preintention noun
• subintention noun

Etymology

Origin of intention

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English intencio(u)n, from Latin intentiōn- (stem of intentiō ). See intent ², -ion

Example Sentences

But good intentions can harden into dogma, and instead of helping people work through conflicted feelings, practitioners doubled down on the proposition that any desire for change was evidence of internalized harm.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Our intentions have always been clear for years and that is to establish an independent state, we haven't tried to fool anyone," he said.

From BBC

It was proof, yet again, that elderly parents leave behind financial disharmony, despite their best intentions.

From MarketWatch

In “Intentional,” Mr. Bailey offers science-based strategies—gleaned, he says, from thousands of research studies—for turning intention into action.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the address, Zelensky thanked leaders that have supported Ukraine, but said that "intentions must become security guarantees, and therefore - be ratified".

From BBC

Related Words

• aim
• hope
• motive
• objective
• plan
• purpose