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Showing results for well-intentioned. Search instead for well-invented.
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

Some on Tuesday condemned the measure as well-intentioned but ill-formulated.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

"Though well-intentioned, blanket bans on social media would fail to deliver the improvement in children's safety and wellbeing that they so urgently need."

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

We have seen a raft of well-intentioned policy proposals designed for this scenario, including a universal basic income and a more robust social safety net.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026

They were well-intentioned, community-minded women, often single mothers or grandmothers, the type who inevitably stepped in to help when no one else would volunteer.

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.