Standard Lemma guide

intent

adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɪnˈtɛnt/
  • rhymes with -ɛnt
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N T EH1 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Firmly fixed or concentrated on something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a mind intent on self-improvement

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Engrossed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Unwavering from a course of action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Something that is intended.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

giving or marked by complete attention to- Walter de la Mare

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • that engrossed look or rapt delight
  • then wrapped in dreams
  • so intent on this fantastic...narrative that she hardly stirred
  • rapt with wonder
  • wrapped in thought

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: captive, absorbed, engrossed, enwrapped, wrapped

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • 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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: purpose, intention, aim, design

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: goal, end

Narrower terms: mind, idea, cross-purpose, final cause, sake, view, will

8

noun

Meaning 8

the intended meaning of a communication

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: purport, spirit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: meaning, significance, signification, import

History

Etymology

Existing since Middle English entente, from Old French entent or entente, ultimately from Latin intentus. Modified later in spelling to align more closely with the Latin word. Compare intention.

Across languages

Translations

94 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: решен (rešen) — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Bulgarian: настойчив (nastojčiv) — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一心一意 (yīxīnyīyì) — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Chinese Mandarin: 決意 /决意 (juéyì) — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Finnish: keskittynyt — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • French: résolu — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • French: déterminé — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Greek: προσηλωμένος (prosiloménos) — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Hungarian: törekvő — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Hungarian: fókuszált — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Hungarian: koncentrált — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Latin: intentus — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Māori: waweroka — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Māori: tare — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Russian: сосредо́точенный (sosredótočennyj) — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Russian: при́стальный (prístalʹnyj) — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Spanish: concentrado — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Spanish: entregado — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Spanish: decidido — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Spanish: resuelto — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Spanish: temoso — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Ottoman Turkish: مشغول (meşgul) — firmly fixed or concentrated
  • Bulgarian: погълнат (pogǎlnat) — engrossed
  • Finnish: keskittynyt — engrossed
  • Greek: αφοσιωμένος (afosioménos) — engrossed
  • Hungarian: belemerült — engrossed
  • Hungarian: merült — engrossed
  • Hungarian: leköti — engrossed
  • Māori: tāuteute — engrossed
  • Ottoman Turkish: مشغول (meşgul) — engrossed
  • Ottoman Turkish: دركار (derkâr) — engrossed
  • Bulgarian: непоколебим (nepokolebim) — unwavering
  • Finnish: vakaasti päättänyt — unwavering
  • Finnish: määrätietoinen — unwavering
  • Finnish: vakaa — unwavering
  • French: buté — unwavering
  • Greek: έμμονος (émmonos) — unwavering
  • Hungarian: elszánt — unwavering
  • Hungarian: eltökélt — unwavering
  • Māori: ngana — unwavering
  • Māori: waweruka — unwavering
  • Spanish: inquebrantable — unwavering
  • Spanish: inexorable — unwavering
  • Arabic: نِيَّة (niyya) — something that is intended
  • Basque: asmo — something that is intended
  • Bulgarian: цел (cel) — something that is intended
  • Bulgarian: намерение (namerenie) — something that is intended
  • Chinese Mandarin: 意圖 /意图 (yìtú) — something that is intended
  • Czech: záměr — something that is intended
  • Czech: úmysl — something that is intended
  • Czech: cíl — something that is intended
  • Dutch: bedoeling — something that is intended
  • Esperanto: celo — something that is intended
  • Finnish: tarkoitus — something that is intended
  • French: intention — something that is intended
  • German: Absicht — something that is intended
  • Greek: πρόθεση (próthesi) — something that is intended
  • Greek: επιδίωξη (epidíoxi) — something that is intended
  • Greek: σκοπός (skopós) — something that is intended
  • Hindi: इच्छा (icchā) — something that is intended
  • Hungarian: szándék — something that is intended
  • Italian: intento — something that is intended
  • Central Kurdish: ئامانج (amanc) — something that is intended
  • Norwegian Bokmål: akt — something that is intended
  • Persian: نیت — something that is intended
  • Plautdietsch: Väanämen — something that is intended
  • Portuguese: intenção — something that is intended
  • Russian: наме́рение (namérenije) — something that is intended
  • Slovak: zámer — something that is intended
  • Slovak: úmysel — something that is intended
  • Slovak: ciel — something that is intended
  • Spanish: intención — something that is intended
  • Spanish: intento — something that is intended
  • Spanish: propósito — something that is intended
  • Swedish: avsikt — something that is intended
  • Swedish: intention — something that is intended
  • Turkish: amaç — something that is intended
  • Turkish: kasıt — something that is intended
  • Ukrainian: намір (namir) — something that is intended
  • Vietnamese: ý đồ — something that is intended
  • Vietnamese: ý định — something that is intended
  • Bulgarian: умисъл (umisǎl) — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Chinese Mandarin: 犯罪动机 — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Finnish: aikomus — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Greek: πρόθεση (próthesi) — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Hungarian: szándékosság — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Russian: у́мысел (úmysel) — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Spanish: intención — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Swedish: uppsåt — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Turkish: niyet — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Turkish: kasıt — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Ukrainian: умисел (umysel) — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Vietnamese: động cơ — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
  • Vietnamese: động cơ gây án — state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence
Real reading context

intent in complete knowledge articles