Standard Lemma guide

intentionality

noun · 3 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality of being intentional.

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

2

noun

Meaning 2

The characteristic of a mental state whereby it is about something, which relates to mental states in an analogous way as meaning relates to a word.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

Examples

  • The naturalization of intentionality is an ongoing project in philosophy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

expressive of intentions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: deliberation, deliberateness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English intentional Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English intentionality From intentional + -ity.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: intencionalitat — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.
  • Finnish: intentionaalisuus — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.
  • French: intentionnalité — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.
  • German: Intentionalität — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.
  • Italian: intenzionalità — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.
  • Japanese: 作為 (sakui) — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.
  • Polish: intencjonalność — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.
  • Portuguese: intencionalidade — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.
  • Russian: целенапра́вленность (celenaprávlennostʹ) — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.
  • Russian: преднаме́ренность (prednamérennostʹ) — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.
  • Spanish: intencionalidad — (phil.) characteristic ...; ability to refer to sth.