Adjacent Words

Intend definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INTEND', v.t. [L. intendo; in and tendo, to stretch or strain, from teneo; Gr. to stretch.]
1. To stretch; to strain; to extend; to distend.
By this the lungs are intended or remitted.
[This literal sense is now uncommon.]
2. To mean; to design; to purpose, that is, to stretch or set forward in mind. [This is now the usual sense.]
For they intended evil against thee. Psalms 21.
3. To regard; to fix the mind on; to attend; to take care of.
Having no children, she did with singular care and tenderness intend the education of Phillip.
[This use of the word is now obsolete. We now use tend and superintend or regard.]
4. To enforce; to make intense.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: have in mind as a purpose; "I mean no harm"; "I only meant to help you"; "She didn't think to harm me"; "We thought to return early that night" [syn: intend, mean, think]
2: design or destine; "She was intended to become the director" [syn: intend, destine, designate, specify]
3: mean or intend to express or convey; "You never understand what I mean!"; "what do his words intend?" [syn: mean, intend]
4: denote or connote; "`maison' means `house' in French"; "An example sentence would show what this word means" [syn: mean, intend, signify, stand for]

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Middle English entenden, intenden, from Anglo-French entendre, from Latin intendere to stretch out, direct, aim at, from in- + tendere to stretch — more at thin Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to direct the mind on 2. archaic to proceed on (a course) 3. a. signify, mean b. to refer to 4. a. to have in mind as a purpose or goal ; plan b. to design for a specified use or future intransitive verb archaic set out, start • intender noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 have as one's purpose; propose (we intend to go; we intend going; we intend that it shall be done). 2 (usu. foll. by for, as) design or destine (a person or a thing) (I intend him to go; I intend it as a warning). 3 mean (what does he intend by that?). 4 (in passive; foll. by for) a be meant for a person to have or use etc. (they are intended for the children). b be meant to represent (the picture is intended for you). 5 (as intending adj.) who intends to be (an intending visitor). Etymology: ME entende, intende f. OF entendre, intendre f. L intendere intent- or intens- strain, direct, purpose (as IN-(2), tendere stretch, tend)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Intend In*tend", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Intended; p. pr. & vb. n. Intending.] [OE. entenden to be attentive, F. entendre, fr. L. intendre, intentum, and intensum, to intend, attend, stretch out, extend; pref. in- in + tendere to stretch, stretch out. See Tend.] 1. To stretch' to extend; to distend. [Obs.] By this the lungs are intended or remitted. --Sir M. Hale. 2. To strain; to make tense. [Obs.] When a bow is successively intended and remedied. --Cudworth. 3. To intensify; to strengthen. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne. Magnetism may be intended and remitted. --Sir I. Newton. 4. To apply with energy. Let him intend his mind, without respite, without rest, in one direction. --Emerson. 5. To bend or turn; to direct, as one's course or journey. [Archaic] --Shak. 6. To fix the mind on; to attend to; to take care of; to superintend; to regard. [Obs.] Having no children, she did, with singular care and tenderness, intend the education of Philip. --Bacon. My soul, not being able to intend two things at once, abated of its fervency in praying. --Fuller. 7. To fix the mind upon (something to be accomplished); to be intent upon; to mean; to design; to plan; to purpose; -- often followed by an infinitely with to, or a dependent clause with that; as, he intends to go; he intends that she shall remain. They intended evil against thee. --Ps. xxi. 11. To-morrow he intends To hunt the boar with certain of his friends. --Shak. 8. To design mechanically or artistically; to fashion; to mold. [Obs.] Modesty was made When she was first intended. --Beau. & Fl. 9. To pretend; to counterfeit; to simulate. [Obs.] Intend a kind of zeal both to the prince and Claudio. --Shak. Syn: To purpose; mean; design; plan; conceive; contemplate.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(intends, intending, intended) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you intend to do something, you have decided or planned to do it. She intends to do A levels and go to university... I didn't intend coming to Germany to work... We had always intended that the new series would be live. VERB: V to-inf, V -ing, V that 2. If something is intended for a particular purpose, it has been planned to fulfil that purpose. If something is intended for a particular person, it has been planned to be used by that person or to affect them in some way. This money is intended for the development of the tourist industry... Columns are usually intended in architecture to add grandeur and status... Originally, Hatfield had been intended as a leisure complex. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed for n, be V-ed to-inf, be V-ed as n 3. If you intend a particular idea or feeling in something that you say or do, you want to express it or want it to be understood. He didn't intend any sarcasm... Burke's response seemed a little patronizing, though he undoubtedly hadn't intended it that way... This sounds like a barrage of accusation–I don't intend it to be... I think he intended it as a put-down comment. = mean VERB: V n, V n n, V n to-inf, V n prep

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Mean, design, purpose, meditate, contemplate, propose to one's self, have in view, think of, aim at, drive at.

Moby Thesaurus

add up to, aim, aim at, aim to, arrange, aspire after, aspire to, assign, attempt, be after, calculate, cast, concert, connote, contemplate, contrive, cut out, denote, design, designate, desire, destine, determine, devise, drive at, endeavor, essay, express, figure, forecast, frame, go for, harbor a design, have every intention, have in mind, import, intend to, lay plans, look forward to, make a projection, make arrangements, mean, mean to, methodize, mind, organize, plan, plan ahead, plot, prearrange, program, project, propose, propose to, purport, purpose, rationalize, resolve, resolve to, schedule, schematize, scheme, set up, shape, signify, spell, strive, systematize, think, try, work out, work up