Intentive
adj.thoughtful, kindliterary
What it means
Closely attentive or directed toward a purpose.
Reach for it when using a rare term for concentrated, purposeful attention
The intentive listener noticed where the witness became uncertain.
Choose between these
5- everyday
careful notice of another person or task is the main quality
not when Attentive is familiar and may lack the purposeful concentration of intentive.
- warm
absorbed
interest holds attention so fully that surroundings recede
not when Absorbed may mean unavailable to other people and not purposefully observant.
- professional
attention remains on the relevant goal
not when Focused can exclude peripheral signals that an attentive person should notice.
- formal
concentration is visibly fixed on one object
not when Intent sounds severe when the attention is considerate listening.
- literary
careful attention includes respect for warnings or advice
not when Heedful is old-fashioned and narrower than general intentive concentration.
Said against
3- inattentive
- distracted
- heedless
It naturally appears in
3- intentive gaze
Her intentive gaze stayed on the fine crack as the load increased.
- intentive listener
An intentive listener leaves room for a speaker to correct the question.
- intentive study
Intentive study revealed a repeated mark beneath the later paint.
Where this comes from
- Merriam-Webster, adjective sense 1: attentive or intent opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.