intentional
Americanadjective
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done with intention or on purpose; intended.
an intentional insult.
- Antonyms:
- accidental
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of or relating to intention or purpose.
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Metaphysics.
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pertaining to an appearance, phenomenon, or representation in the mind; phenomenal; representational.
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pertaining to the capacity of the mind to refer to an existent or nonexistent object.
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pointing beyond itself, as consciousness or a sign.
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adjective
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performed by or expressing intention; deliberate
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of or relating to intention or purpose
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philosophy
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of or relating to the capacity of the mind to refer to different kinds of objects
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(of an object) existing only as the object of some mental attitude rather than in reality, as a unicorn in she hopes to meet a unicorn See also intensional
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Synonym Usage
See deliberate.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of intentional
Explanation
Something intentional was done on purpose. If a crime was intentional, it was no accident. If you bump into your little brother in the hallway because you weren't paying attention, it's unintentional. But if wait for him to walk by and then stick out your foot to trip him, it's intentional. And not very nice. Usually we let people off the hook if they do something bad accidentally. But if your evil doings are premeditated, consciously planned, or otherwise intentional, no one will take much pity on you.
Vocabulary lists containing intentional
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Thirteen Reasons Why
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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 brine ties everything together and gives the salad a punchy Mediterranean flavor that makes it feel more intentional than it actually is.
From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026
Reports routinely include aspects of parenting on which reasonable people disagree, such as how old a child should be to play unsupervised, or that reflect a parents’ lack of resources instead of any intentional misconduct.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
However, their presence on an island inhabited by people strongly suggests an intentional and ongoing relationship.
From Science Daily • Jul. 5, 2026
US coach Mauricio Pochettino said Balogun should "never" have received a red card for the incident, insisting his player had simply been "fighting for the ball" and the contact was not intentional.
From Barron's • Jul. 5, 2026
Every slip of the mind, intentional or not, left my head a jumble of thoughts and images, words and pain.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
