Intention

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: in=ten=tion

CIDE DICTIONARY

Intention, n. [F. intention, L. intentio. See Intend, and cf. Intension.].

•  A stretching or bending of the mind toward an object; closeness of application; fixedness of attention; earnestness.  [1913 Webster]

  "Intention is when the mind, with great earnestness, and of choice, fixes its view on any idea."  [1913 Webster]
•  A determination to act in a certain way or to do a certain thing; purpose; design; as, an intention to go to New York.  [1913 Webster]

  "Hell is paved with good intentions."  [1913 Webster]
•  The object toward which the thoughts are directed; end; aim.  [1913 Webster]

  "In [chronical distempers], the principal intention is to restore the tone of the solid parts."  [1913 Webster]
•  The state of being strained. See Intension.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any mental apprehension of an object.  [1913 Webster]

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.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Intention, 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.

Idiom

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.

Derivative

intentioned adj. (usu. in comb.).

Etymology

ME entencion f. OF f. L intentio stretching, purpose (as INTEND)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Intention

n. The mind's sense of the prevalence of one set of influences over another set; an effect whose cause is the imminence, immediate or remote, of the performance of an involuntary act.

THESAURUS

Intention

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

ROGET THESAURUS

Intention

Will

N will, volition, conation, velleity, liberum arbitrium, will and pleasure, free will, freedom, discretion, option, voluntariness, spontaneity, spontaneousness, originality, pleasure, wish, mind, desire, frame of mind, intention, predetermination, selfcontrol, determination, force of will, voluntary, volitional, willful, free, optional, discretional, discretionary, volitient, volitive, minded, prepense, intended, autocratic, unbidden &c (bid), spontaneous, original, unconstrained, voluntarily, at will, at pleasure, a volonte, a discretion, al piacere, ad libitum, ad arbitrium, as one thinks proper, as it seems good to, a beneplacito, of one's won accord, of one's own free will, proprio motu, suo motu, ex meromotu, out of one's won head, by choice, purposely, deliberately, stet pro ratione voluntas, sic volo sic jubeo, a vostro beneplacito, beneficium accipere libertatem est vendere, Deus vult, was man nicht kann meiden muss man willig leiden.

Predetermination

N predestination, preordination, premeditation, predeliberation, predetermination, foregone conclusion, fait accompli, parti pris, resolve, propendency, intention, project, fate, foredoom, necessity, prepense, premeditated, predesignated, predesigned, advised, studied, designed, calculated, aforethought, intended, foregone, well-laid, well-devised, well-weighed, maturely considered, cunning, advisedly, with premeditation, deliberately, all things considered, with eyes open, in cold blood, intentionally.

Motive

N motive, springs of action, wellsprings of action, reason, ground, call, principle, by end, by purpose, mainspring, primum mobile, keystone, the why and the wherefore, pro and con, reason why, secret motive, arriere pensee, intention, inducement, consideration, attraction, loadstone, magnet, magnetism, magnetic force, allectation, allective, temptation, enticement, agacerie, allurement, witchery, bewitchment, bewitchery, charm, spell, fascination, blandishment, cajolery, seduction, seducement, honeyed words, voice of the tempter, song of the Sirens forbidden fruit, golden apple, persuasibility, persuasibleness, attractability, impressibility, susceptibility, softness, persuasiveness, attractiveness, tantalization, influence, prompting, dictate, instance, impulse, impulsion, incitement, incitation, press, instigation, provocation, inspiration, persuasion, suasion, encouragement, advocacy, exhortation, advice, solicitation, lobbyism, pull, incentive, stimulus, spur, fillip, whip, goad, ankus, rowel, provocative, whet, dram, bribe, lure, decoy, decoy duck, bait, trail of a red herring, bribery and corruption, sop, sop for Cerberus, prompter, tempter, seducer, seductor, instigator, firebrand, incendiary, Siren, Circe, agent provocateur, lobbyist, impulsive, motive, suasive, suasory, persuasive, persuasory, hortative, hortatory, protreptical, inviting, tempting suasive, suasory, seductive, attractive, fascinating, provocative, induced, disposed, persuadable, spellbound, instinct with, smitten with, infatuated, inspired, by, because, therefore, from this motive, from that motive, for this reason, for that reason, for, by reason of, for the sake of, count of, out of, from, as, forasmuch as, for all the world, on principle, fax mentis incendium gloriae, temptation hath a music for all ears, to beguile many and be beguiled by one.

Intention

N intent, intention, intentionality, purpose, quo animo, project, undertaking, predetermination, design, ambition, contemplation, mind, animus, view, purview, proposal, study, look out, final cause, raison d'etre, cui bono, object, aim, end, the be all and the end all, drift, tendency, destination, mark, point, butt, goal, target, bull's-eye, quintain, prey, quarry, game, decision, determination, resolve, fixed set purpose, settled purpose, ultimatum, resolution, wish, arriere pensee, motive, teleology, intended, intentional, advised, express, determinate, prepense, bound for, intending, minded, bent upon, at stake, on the anvil, on the tapis, in view, in prospect, in the breast of, in petto, teleological, intentionally, advisedly, wittingly, knowingly, designedly, purposely, on purpose, by design, studiously, pointedly, with intent, deliberately, with one's eyes open, in cold blood, for, with a view, with an eye to, in order to, in order that, to the end that, with the intent that, for the purpose of, with the view of, in contemplation of, on account of, in pursuance of, pursuant to, quo animo, to all intents and purposes, The road to hell is paved with good intentions, sublimi feriam sidera vertice.