Adjacent Words

Intention definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INTEN'TION, n. [L. intentio. See Intend.]
1. Primarily, a stretching or bending of the mind towards an object; hence, uncommon exertion of the intellectual faculties; closeness of application; fixedness of attention; earnestness.
Intention is when the mind, with great earnestness and of choice, fixes its view on any idea, considers it on every side, and will not be called off by the ordinary solicitation of other ideas.
2. Design; purpose; the fixed direction of the mind to a particular object, or a determination to act in a particular manner. It is my intention to proceed to Paris.
3. End or aim; the object to be accomplished.
In chronical distempers,the principal intention is to restore the tone of the solid parts.
4. The state of being strained. [See Intension.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions; "his intent was to provide a new translation"; "good intentions are not enough"; "it was created with the conscious aim of answering immediate needs"; "he made no secret of his designs" [syn: purpose, intent, intention, aim, design]
2: (usually plural) the goal with respect to a marriage proposal; "his intentions are entirely honorable"
3: an act of intending; a volition that you intend to carry out; "my intention changed once I saw her"

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 14th century 1. a determination to act in a certain way ; resolve 2. import, significance 3. a. 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. plural purpose with respect to marriage Synonyms: 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>.

U.S. Military Dictionary

An aim or design (as distinct from capability) to execute a specified course of action. (JP 2-01)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 (often foll. by to + infin., or of + verbal noun) a thing intended; an aim or purpose (it was not his intention to interfere; have no intention of staying). 2 the act of intending (done without intention). 3 colloq. (usu. in pl.) a person's, esp. a man's, designs in respect to marriage (are his intentions strictly honourable?). 4 Logic a conception. Phrases and idioms: first intention Med. the healing of a wound by natural contact of the parts. first intentions Logic one's primary conceptions of things (e.g. a tree, an oak). intention tremor Med. a trembling of a part of a body when commencing a movement. second intention Med. the healing of a wound by granulation. second intentions Logic one's secondary conceptions (e.g. difference, identity, species). special (or particular) intention RC Ch. a special aim or purpose for which a mass is celebrated, prayers are said, etc. Derivatives: intentioned adj. (usu. in comb.). Etymology: ME entencion f. OF f. L intentio stretching, purpose (as INTEND)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Intention In*ten"tion, n. [F. intention, L. intentio. See Intend, and cf. Intension.] 1. A stretching or bending of the mind toward of the mind toward an object; closeness of application; fixedness of attention; earnestness. Intention is when the mind, with great earnestness, and of choice, fixes its view on any idea. --Locke. 2. A determination to act in a certain way or to do a certain thing; purpose; design; as, an intention to go to New York. Hell is paved with good intentions. --Johnson. 3. The object toward which the thoughts are directed; end; aim. In [chronical distempers], the principal intention is to restore the tone of the solid parts. --Arbuthnot. 4. The state of being strained. See Intension. [Obs.] 5. (Logic) Any mental apprehension of an object. First intention (Logic), a conception of a thing formed by the first or direct application of the mind to the individual object; an idea or image; as, man, stone. Second intention (Logic), a conception generalized from first intuition or apprehension already formed by the mind; an abstract notion; especially, a classified notion, as species, genus, whiteness. To heal by the first intention (Surg.), to cicatrize, as a wound, without suppuration. To heal by the second intention (Surg.), to unite after suppuration. Syn: Design; purpose; object; aim; intent; drift; purport; meaning. See Design.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

7. (Mach.) A joint or other connection uniting parts of machinery, or the like, as the elastic pipe of a tender connecting it with the feed pipe of a locomotive engine; especially, a pipe fitting for connecting pipes, or pipes and fittings, in such a way as to facilitate disconnection. 8. (Brewing) A cask suspended on trunnions, in which fermentation is carried on. Hypostatic union (Theol.) See under Hypostatic. Latin union. See under Latin. Legislative Union (Eng. Hist.), the union of Great Britain and Ireland, which took place Jan. 1, 1801. Union, or Act of Union (Eng. Hist.), the act by which Scotland was united to England, or by which the two kingdoms were incorporated into one, in 1707. Union by the first, or second, intention. (Surg.) See To heal by the first, or second, intention, under Intention. Union down (Naut.), a signal of distress at sea made by reversing the flag, or turning its union downward. Union jack. (Naut.) See Jack, n., 10. Union joint. (Mech.) (a) A joint formed by means of a union. (b) A piece of pipe made in the form of the letter T. Syn: Unity; junction; connection; concord; alliance; coalition; combination; confederacy. Usage: Union, Unity. Union is the act of bringing two or more things together so as to make but one, or the state of being united into one. Unity is a state of simple oneness, either of essence, as the unity of God, or of action, feeling, etc., as unity of design, of affection, etc. Thus, we may speak of effecting a union of interests which shall result in a unity of labor and interest in securing a given object. One kingdom, joy, and union without end. --Milton. [Man] is to . . . beget Like of his like, his image multiplied. In unity defective; which requires Collateral love, and dearest amity. --Milton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(intentions) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. An intention is an idea or plan of what you are going to do. Beveridge announced his intention of standing for parliament... Unfortunately, his good intentions never seemed to last long. N-VAR: oft N of -ing, N to-inf 2. If you say that you have no intention of doing something, you are emphasizing that you are not going to do it. If you say that you have every intention of doing something, you are emphasizing that you intend to do it. We have no intention of buying American jets... PHRASE: V inflects, PHR -ing [emphasis]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Design, purpose. See intent.

Moby Thesaurus

aim, ambition, animus, appetence, appetency, appetite, approach, arrangement, aspiration, attack, basis, blueprint, blueprinting, calculation, calling, cause, charting, choice, command, conation, conatus, conception, consideration, contrivance, decision, design, desire, determination, device, discretion, disposition, end, enterprise, envisagement, fancy, figuring, foresight, forethought, free choice, free will, game, goal, graphing, ground, ground plan, guidelines, guiding light, guiding star, hope, idea, ideal, inclination, inspiration, intendment, intent, layout, liking, lineup, lodestar, long-range plan, lust, mainspring, mapping, master plan, matter, meaning, method, methodology, mind, motive, object, objective, operations research, organization, passion, plan, planning, planning function, pleasure, prearrangement, principle, procedure, program, program of action, project, purpose, rationalization, reason, resolution, sake, schedule, schema, schematism, schematization, scheme, scheme of arrangement, score, setup, sexual desire, source, spring, strategic plan, strategy, system, systematization, tactical plan, tactics, target, the big picture, the picture, ulterior motive, velleity, vocation, volition, way, will, will power, wish, working plan