intend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
intends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
intended,
past participle, past
-
intending
present participle
-
to have in mind as something to be done or brought about; plan.
We intend to leave in a month.
- Synonyms:
- purpose, aim, expect, contemplate
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to design or mean for a particular purpose, use, recipient, etc..
a fund intended for emergency use only.
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to design to express or indicate, as by one's words; refer to.
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(of words, terms, statements, etc.) to mean or signify.
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Archaic. to direct (the eyes, mind, etc.).
verb (used without object)
-
intends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
intended,
past participle, past
-
intending
present participle
-
to have a purpose or design.
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Obsolete. to set out on one's course.
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to propose or plan (something or to do something); have in mind; mean
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to design or destine (for a certain purpose, person, etc)
that shot was intended for the President
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(tr) to mean to express or indicate
what do his words intend?
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(intr) to have a purpose as specified; mean
he intends well
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archaic (tr) to direct or turn (the attention, eyes, etc)
Synonym Usage
Intend, mean, design, propose imply knowing what one wishes to do and setting this as a goal. To intend is to have in mind something to be done or brought about: No offense was intended. Mean is a less formal word than intend but otherwise a close synonym: He means to go away. Design implies planning to effect a particular result: to design a plan for Christmas decorations. Propose suggests setting up a program for oneself or offering it to others for consideration: We propose to beautify our city.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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intendsimple
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intendssimple
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have intendedperfect
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has intendedperfect
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am intendingprogressive
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are intendingprogressive
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is intendingprogressive
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have been intendingperfect progressive
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has been intendingperfect progressive
Past
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intendedsimple
-
had intendedperfect
-
was intendingprogressive
-
were intendingprogressive
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had been intendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intend
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Latin intendere “to aim, assert, stretch out”; equivalent to in- 2 + tend 1; replacing Middle English entenden, from Old French entendre, from Latin, as above
Explanation
If you intend to do something, you mean to do it or have it in mind as a goal. Do you plan on getting your holiday cards in the mail before February this year? Then you intend on getting them out early. The world is full of good intentions, meaning there are lots of people who intend to be nice, eat better, floss more, or pick up their dirty socks. But things don't always go as planned. Your actions could produce results that you didn't expect, specify, or ever intend — that might explain the well-known proverb, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."
Vocabulary lists containing intend
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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.
See Examples For:
Then: “We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
He said Canada and the EU intend to hammer out their future relationship at a summit next month in Montreal.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
I’ve never had a plan and I don’t intend to start now.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
"We do not intend to claim the Millennium Prize for this result."
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
John Garrett grew increasingly suspicious of the strangers: Did they intend to steal horses from the Garretts?
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
It intends to apply to list shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NSCL.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
"Resources for DRI... are already available and the government intends to use them," he added.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
The office intends to have an environmental contractor remove the lithium batteries, which it says will be properly disposed of.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
SpaceX on Tuesday announced a new date for its next test of the Starship megarocket, which it intends to finally send into Earth’s orbit.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Tommen tells me that Lord Tyrell intends to rebuild the Tower of the Hand,” Cersei said.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
It's a line he now says was specifically intended to be a riposte to the other Charles' suggestion that she would quickly be forgotten: Diana "will never be extinguished from our minds".
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Others have argued that the 364-day system was never intended for everyday use and functioned only as an idealized religious framework.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
The state risk pool was never intended to bear such risk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
He had never intended to become an activist; he found himself in the role by accident.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
Mom was a veterinarian, which was what Bat intended to be, too, one day.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
People roll a portion of their balance to an IRA to “get started,” fully intending to deal with the stock later.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
But the chief executive replied: "My position on that is that I am not intending to resign as a result of this."
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Recently, I went to the grocery store intending, more or less, to buy ingredients for spaghetti with a weeknight Bolognese.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
She returned to the organization that drafted her intending to help them get back to the postseason.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
“That’s what the patrollers would say because I have no papers. But I’m free, born free, intending to stay free.”
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
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.
