intent
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
An anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ihntehntSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɪnˈtɛnt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
An anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
“His intent was to provide a new translation.”
The intended meaning of a communication
adjective
Firmly fixed or concentrated on something.
Unwavering from a course of action.
Engrossed.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- General English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: An anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
Used this way, intent is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“His intent was to provide a new translation.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use intent
- “His intent was to provide a new translation.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
With strained or eager attention.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
In every practical sense.
In every practical sense.
Larceny after trust rather than after unlawful taking.
Any letter expressing an intention to take (or forgo) some action.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
Done or made or performed with purpose and intent.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: anticipated outcome that is intended
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.