- 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
As she relates in this new and admirable work of social history, all sorts of elements—some well-intentioned, some cynically opportunistic—contributed to produce a wholesale reworking of the way America’s children approach their food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Clubs nationwide were folding, but in L.A., if one or two music venues went under, it meant monopoly by Goldenvoice-owned spaces and well-intentioned hipster havens like Zebulon, gentrifying both neighborhoods and music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2026
None of these well-intentioned remarks cheered the dwarf, who strode angrily ahead, swinging his axe from side to side.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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.
