Intent
What it means
The purpose someone means to carry through by an action or decision.
Reach for it when clarifying what a person was trying to achieve, apart from the outcome
Her intent was to leave the footpath safer than she found it.
Words to choose between 6
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| professional | |
| formal |
|
| literary |
-
everyday
Fits when a plan or meant action should sound neutral
Careful Intention is often less forceful and less legal than intent.
-
everyday
Fits when the reason for doing something is the broad focus
Careful Purpose can be an enduring calling, while intent often concerns a particular act.
-
professional
aim
Fits when a desired result gives the action direction
Careful Aim stresses the target more than the actor's state of mind.
-
professional
Fits when a defined, assessable result is needed
Careful Objective may belong to a project without revealing personal intent.
-
formal
motive
Fits when the underlying reason for action is under examination
Careful Motive asks why; intent asks what the person meant to do.
-
literary
design
Fits when a deliberate plan is viewed as a shaping conception
Careful Design can imply calculation or a physical plan and may sound suspicious.
Opposites 3
- accident
- aimlessness
- inadvertence
Common phrases 3
-
clear intent
A clear intent made the short policy easier to apply consistently.
-
original intent
Later amendments preserved the original intent of the agreement.
-
intent to help
His intent to help was genuine, though the timing caused confusion.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated