- a variation of well-meaning.
well-intentioned
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of well-intentioned
First recorded in 1590–1600
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.
To backpedal for a moment: While even the most well-intentioned president can’t fix everything that comes across his desk, this one apparently spotted a problem beneath his that he could do something about.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
Justin said that the government's protection policy was well-intentioned -- but that the modern world was not allowing the Sentinelese to be left on their own.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
“The AI Doc” is a well-intentioned but aggravating soup of information and opinion that wants to move at the speed of machine thought.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
The thing that makes “Wild Boys” at all important is the question of personal autonomy and what limits or responsibilities anyone has—government entities, churches, NGOs or even just well-intentioned individuals—in “saving” someone from himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
I’d lived with earnest and well-intentioned concerns for our safety since almost the day Barack first decided to run for president.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
