intentional fallacy

American

[in-ten-shuh-nl fal-uh-see] / ɪnˈtɛn ʃə nl ˈfæl ə si /

noun

(in literary criticism) an assertion that the intended meaning of the author is not the only or most important meaning; a fallacy involving an assessment of a literary work based on the author's intended meaning rather than on actual response to the work.

Etymology

Origin of intentional fallacy

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

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intentional fallacy

We buy into some version of the intentional fallacy: the notion that art is about having a clear-cut intention and then confidently executing same.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 4, 2017

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023