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intention

noun
in·​ten·​tion | \ in-ˈten(t)-shən How to pronounce intention (audio) \

Definition of intention

1 : a determination to act in a certain way : resolve
2 : import, significance
3a : what one intends to do or bring about
b : the object for which a prayer, mass, or pious act is offered
4 : a process or manner of healing of incised wounds
5 : concept especially : a concept considered as the product of attention directed to an object of knowledge
6 intentions plural : purpose with respect to marriage
Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about intention

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Choose the Right Synonym for intention

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain. intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about. announced his intention to marry intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness. the clear intent of the statute purpose suggests a more settled determination. being successful was her purpose in life design implies a more carefully calculated plan. the order of events came by accident, not design aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing. her aim was to raise film to an art form end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such. willing to use any means to achieve his end object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need. his constant object was the achievement of pleasure objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable. their objective is to seize the oil fields goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship. worked years to reach her goals

Examples of intention in a Sentence

She announced her intention to run for governor. He seemed to think that I was trying to cause problems, but that was never my intention. He bought a dog with the intention of training it to attack intruders. He has good intentions, but his suggestions aren't really helpful.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 At the time, very few Chinese coders who landed a job in Silicon Valley had any intention of returning home. — Matt Sheehan, WIRED, "WFH: Chinese Engineers Abroad Come Back," 13 Aug. 2019 As Tuesday’s press conferences showed, neither side has any intention of backing down. — William Z. Nardi, National Review, "The Hong Kong Crisis Is Stuck in a Dangerous Holding Pattern," 6 Aug. 2019 This is the sound of intention: of people making an effort to connect with each other and listen to the world. — Jennifer Emerling, National Geographic, "Seeking silence on a California road trip," 6 Aug. 2019 But Camila clapped back and said that wasn't true, since the other girls were aware of her intentions for a solo career. — Jasmine Gomez, Seventeen, "Camila Cabello Just Opened Up About Shawn Mendes and Her Relationship with the Rest of Fifth Harmony," 6 Aug. 2019 Hudson had never disclosed any specific intentions for the land during its ownership of the Milpitas sites. — George Avalos, The Mercury News, "Big chunk of Milpitas land is bought by industrial developer," 31 July 2019 Neither the airline industry, passengers — many of whom are flying for the first time — nor local governments have any intention of slowing this growth. — Adam Minterbloomberg, Los Angeles Times, "Column: Flight shaming won’t work in Asia to cut carbon emissions," 23 July 2019 Puig, who didn’t appear to have any intention at swinging at the pitch, took a few steps toward the mound, threw his helmet to the ground and dropped his bat as he was restrained by Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. — Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati.com, "Chicago Cubs' Pedro Strop calls Yasiel Puig 'stupid' after benches-clearing incident," 30 June 2019 At least until Saturday when news broke of Connecticut's intention to leave the American Athletic Conference and return to the Big East in all sports except football. — Jeff Metcalfe, azcentral, "There's a lull in conference-realignment talk, but another round could be coming," 23 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intention.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of intention

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for intention

intention

noun
How to pronounce intention (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of intention

: the thing that you plan to do or achieve : an aim or purpose

See the full definition for intention in the English Language Learners Dictionary

intention

noun
in·​ten·​tion | \ in-ˈten-shən How to pronounce intention (audio) \

Kids Definition of intention

1 : a determination to act in a particular way She announced her intention to run for president.
2 : an aim or plan It's his intention to win.

intention

noun
in·​ten·​tion | \ in-ˈten-chən How to pronounce intention (audio) \

Medical Definition of intention

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