Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To have in mind; plan.
  • intransitive verb To design for a specific purpose.
  • intransitive verb To have in mind for a particular use.
  • intransitive verb To signify or mean.
  • intransitive verb To have a design or purpose in mind.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To manage; superintend; supervise.
  • To stretch forth or out; extend or distend.
  • To direct; turn; fix in a course or tendency.
  • To fix the attention upon; attend to; superintend.
  • To fix the mind upon, as something to be done or brought about; have in mind or purpose; design: often used with the infinitive: as, I intend to write; no deception was intended.
  • To design to signify; mean to be understood; have reference to.
  • To pretend; make believe; simulate.
  • To look for; expect.
  • To intensify; increase.
  • To stretch forward; extend; move; proceed.
  • To attend; pay attention.
  • To have intention; be inclined or disposed.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To stretch; to extend; to distend.
  • transitive verb obsolete To strain; to make tense.
  • transitive verb obsolete To intensify; to strengthen.
  • transitive verb To apply with energy.
  • transitive verb Archaic To bend or turn; to direct, as one's course or journey.
  • transitive verb obsolete To fix the mind on; to attend to; to take care of; to superintend; to regard.
  • transitive verb To fix the mind upon (something to be accomplished); to be intent upon; to mean; to design; to plan; to purpose; -- often followed by an infinitely with to, or a dependent clause with that
  • transitive verb obsolete To design mechanically or artistically; to fashion; to mold.
  • transitive verb obsolete To pretend; to counterfeit; to simulate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To fix the mind upon (something to be accomplished); be intent upon; mean; design; plan; purpose.
  • verb To fix the mind on; attend to; take care of; superintend; regard.
  • verb obsolete To stretch to extend; distend.
  • verb To strain; make tense.
  • verb obsolete To intensify; strengthen.
  • verb To apply with energy.
  • verb To bend or turn; direct, as one’s course or journey.
  • verb To design mechanically or artistically; fashion; mold.
  • verb To pretend; counterfeit; simulate.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb design or destine
  • verb mean or intend to express or convey
  • verb have in mind as a purpose
  • verb denote or connote

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English entenden, from Old French entendre, from Latin intendere : in-, toward; see in– + tendere, to stretch; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English entend, “direct (one’s) attention towards”, from Old French entendre, from Latin intendere.

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Examples

  • The word "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

    unknown title 2011

  • The word "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

    unknown title 2011

  • Adopting the rhetoric of the right seems somehow odd, if what you intend is to represent yourself as a fair judge.

    My Favorite Economic Indicator, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009

  • How many people does McCain intend to kill in the name of his bruised national pride.

    Lieberman increases criticism of Barack Obama 2008

  • And anyone who has ever read a year's worth of reviews from all corners about one's book knows that a lot of people are coming at it from a lot of different places and what they are reading into it that the author didn't intend is legion.

    Reading for Young Sheep Roger Sutton 2006

  • Come, my pretty maid, be brisk; Mr. Ormond and the captain intend to go out shooting for a few hours, so fly and bid the servants prepare.

    Obi Melodrama Act I, Obi, Praxis Series, Romantic Circles 2002

  • Another great by-product of the British Empire which I am quite sure it did not intend is that of Canadian nationhood.

    By-Products of Empire 1929

  • The terms of the convention under which England, France, and Spain intend to act are before the public, and nothing can be more just or fair.

    London, Saturday, November9, 1861. 1861

  • I have to answer that the way rational forces intend, which is that you can't --

    Grand Canyon 2010

  • He said from his very first "I intend to resign" speech here at the Boise Depot back on Labor Day weekend that he did use that word intend based on the support that he was getting that day, moments before that address, from Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter.

    CNN Transcript Oct 16, 2007 2007

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