intend

1 of 2

verb

in·​tend in-ˈtend How to pronounce intend (audio)
intended; intending; intends
Synonyms of intend

transitive verb

1
a
: to have in mind as a purpose or goal : plan
b
: to design for a specified use or future
2
a
: signify, mean
b
: to refer to
3
: to direct the mind on
4
archaic : to proceed on (a course)

intransitive verb

archaic : set out, start
intender noun

intender

2 of 2

noun

in·​tend·​er
ə̇n‧ˈtendə(r)
plural -s
: a person who intends

Synonyms of intend

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of intend in a Sentence

Verb I didn't intend any disrespect. We intended that she come with us.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Sullivan touted his Bycatch Reduction Act, a bill intended to reduce excess fish caught by large commercial trawlers. — Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026 The donation is intended to benefit children age 10 and under who aren’t eligible for the federal government’s separate $1,000 contribution for children born between 2025 and 2028. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 While the short was a love letter to the museum at which it was filmed (Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre), the feature is intended as a love letter to Bomber County as a whole. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 The Election Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration deny the allegations and say the revision is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for intend

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of intend was in the 14th century

Rhymes for intend

See All Rhymes for intend

Browse Nearby Words

intemporal
intend
intendance
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Intend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intend. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

intend

verb
in·​tend in-ˈtend How to pronounce intend (audio)
: to have in mind as a purpose or aim : plan
intends to travel abroad next year

Legal Definition

intend

transitive verb
in·​tend in-ˈtend How to pronounce intend (audio)
: to have in one's mind as a purpose or goal
did not intend to kill her
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All