intention

intention — noun

1. a plan or aim that a person has in their mind about something they want to do or

1.nounB1
Definition

a plan or aim that a person has in their mind about something they want to do or achieve in the future

Example

Dewi announced her intention to run for the school board next year.

intention + to-infinitive for announcing plans

It was never my intention to make you feel left out of the group.

it was never my intention to + verb

Common collocations
  • announce one's intention
  • declare one's intention
  • state one's intention
  • signal one's intention
  • have every intention of
  • have no intention of
  • good intentions
  • honorable intentions
  • original intention
  • clear intention
Synonyms
  • aim

    more specific about the target or desired outcome; often used with goals

  • purpose

    focuses on the reason behind an action rather than the planned action itself

  • goal

    emphasises a clear endpoint one hopes to reach; more concrete than intention

  • plan

    more detailed and actionable; intention is the thought before a plan is formed

Antonyms
  • accident

    something that happens without any plan or purpose

Grammar Patterns

intention + to-infinitive

intention + of + gerund

have every intention of + gerund

no intention of + gerund

Usage Note

Common in the fixed phrases 'have every intention of' and 'have no intention of', which express strong certainty or denial about a future action. The to-infinitive pattern ('intention to do something') is more neutral than the of + -ing pattern, which often emphasises determination or lack thereof.

Common Mistakes

I have intention to visit Taiwan next year.
I have every intention of visiting Taiwan next year.
The phrases 'have every intention of' and 'have no intention of' are fixed expressions; bare 'have intention to' without a qualifier sounds unnatural.
He had no any intention of apologising.
He had no intention of apologising.
'No intention' already carries the negative meaning; 'any' is redundant here.

2. a person's plans or wishes about whether they want to marry a particular person,

2.nounB2
Definition

a person's plans or wishes about whether they want to marry a particular person, usually discussed in formal or traditional social settings

Example

After dating for three years, Michael made his intentions clear to Tanvi's family.

make one's intentions clear (marriage context)

In some traditional families, a young man must first state his honorable intentions to the woman's parents.

state one's honorable intentions (formal marriage context)

Common collocations
  • declare one's intentions
  • state one's intentions
  • make one's intentions known
  • honorable intentions
  • romantic intentions
  • serious intentions
  • ask about someone's intentions
  • question someone's intentions
Synonyms
  • marriage proposal

    a specific formal offer of marriage, while 'intentions' are the plans that may lead to a proposal

  • suit

    old-fashioned term for a man's attempt to win a woman's affection in marriage

Grammar Patterns

make one's intentions clear

declare one's intentions

someone's intentions toward someone

Usage Note

In this sense, 'intentions' is almost always used in the plural. The singular 'intention' referring to marriage would sound unusual or incomplete. This sense appears in formal social contexts, especially when families discuss a potential marriage.

Common Mistakes

He made his intention to marry her.
He made his intentions known to her family.
In the marriage sense, 'intentions' must be plural; the singular form is not used this way.
She declared her romantic intention toward him.
She declared her romantic intentions toward him.
Always plural in relationship and marriage contexts.
Idioms

the road to hell is paved with good intentions

idiom

used to say that meaning well is not enough — if you do not actually do what you planned, your good thoughts have no real value

I kept saying I would volunteer at the shelter, but I never did. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, I suppose.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to what a person wants to achieve, but they differ in focus. 'Intention' describes your inner plan or state of mind — what you mean to do, even if you never manage to do it. 'Purpose' focuses on the reason behind an action: why you do something rather than what you plan to do. 'Aim' is more specific and directional — it points to a target you are working toward. 'Goal' is the most concrete of the four, suggesting a clear endpoint with measurable progress. For example: 'Her intention was to help, but her aim was to raise $10,000 for the new library.' The purpose of the fundraiser was to buy books, and the goal was to have the library open by summer.

intention ↗purpose ↗aim ↗goal ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • have every intention of
  • have no intention of
  • with the best of intentions
  • good intentions
  • original intention

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'intention' comes from Latin 'intentio', meaning 'a stretching out, aim, or purpose', which is built on 'intendere' — 'to stretch toward, direct the mind at'. It entered English in the 14th century through Old French 'intention'. The core idea has always been about aiming your thoughts in a particular direction, just as you would stretch your arm toward something you want to reach.