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Synonyms

well-intentioned

American  
[wel-in-ten-shuhnd] / ˈwɛl ɪnˈtɛn ʃənd /

adjective

  1. well-meaning.

well-intentioned British  

adjective

  1. having or indicating benevolent intentions, usually with unfortunate results

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

“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

Although well-intentioned, it has led to turnovers which have resulted in goals.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

But she isn’t permitted to subjugate her characters to advance her own agenda, no matter how well-intentioned.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

That can make people vulnerable, and it can also make well-intentioned children overprotective.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 1, 2025

The movement had been infiltrated with informers, and even well-intentioned people were generally not as tight-lipped as they should have been.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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.