a purpose or goal; aim: it is his intention to reform a natural healing process, as by first intention, in which the edges of a wound cling together with no tissue between, or by second intention, in which the wound edges adhere with granulation tissue - (usually plural)
design or purpose with respect to a proposal of marriage (esp in the phrase honourable intentions) - an archaic word for meaning, intentness
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
in•ten•tion /ɪnˈtɛnʃən/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- an act or instance of deciding upon an action;
plan:[uncountable]His intention was to spend a month in Spain. - intentions, [plural]
- general purposes;
attitude toward the effect of one's actions:He's constantly making mistakes, but at least he has good intentions. - purpose or attitude with respect to marrying someone:Are his intentions serious?
- general purposes;
in•ten•tion
(in ten′shən),USA pronunciation n.
in•ten′tion•less, adj.
- an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result.
- the end or object intended;
purpose. - intentions:
- purpose or attitude toward the effect of one's actions or conduct:a bungler with good intentions.
- purpose or attitude with respect to marriage:Our friends are beginning to ask what our intentions are.
- the act or fact of intending.
- Philosophy[Logic.]
- PhilosophyAlso called first intention, primary intention. reference by signs, concepts, etc., to concrete things, their properties, classes, or the relationships among them.
- PhilosophyAlso called second intention, secondary intention. reference to properties, classes, or the relationships among first intentions.
- Medicine, Surgery[Surg., Med.]a manner or process of healing, as in the healing of a lesion or fracture without granulation (healing by first intention) or the healing of a wound by granulation after suppuration (healing by second intention.)
- meaning or significance:The intention of his words was clear.
- the person or thing meant to benefit from a prayer or religious offering.
- [Archaic.]intentness.
- Latin intentiōn- (stem of intentiō). See intent2, -ion
- Middle English intencio(u)n 1300–50
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged goal. Intention, intent, purpose all refer to a wish that one means to carry out. Intention is the general word:His intention is good.Intent is chiefly legal or literary:attack with intent to kill.Purpose implies having a goal or determination to achieve something:Her strong sense of purpose is reflected in her studies.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'intention' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
AWOL
- Greek gift
- advertise
- aggravated
- aim
- ambiguity
- ambiguous
- animus
- apophasis
- arrière-pensée
- assail
- astrotourist
- attempt
- back off
- be
- big idea
- boilerplate
- bona fides
- bond washing
- bootstrap
- burglary
- casual
- changeling
- chat up
- commit
- construe
- contemplation
- cosmetic
- create
- credit
- crossover
- damp
- de dolo malo
- declarant
- defer
- deinstitutionalize
- derelict
- desert
- desertion
- design
- designedly
- determination
- device
- disappoint
- disrupt
- earnest
- effect
- end
- entente
- entry