Intend

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈtɛnd/

Definitions

1. To have a purpose or plan in mind ; to convey or express a particular meaning
2. To decide on a course of action or goal ; to represent or indicate a specific idea
3. To resolve or aim toward a particular outcome ; to imply or stand for something

Etymology: The verb "intend" carries a sense of aiming that is still visible in its Latin ancestor, "intendere," which meant "to stretch toward" or "direct (one's) attention towards." Middle English borrowed the idea through Old French "entendre," and early English users often applied it to the mind or gaze being pointed at something before any plan was involved. The plan-making sense grew out of that notion of directing oneself toward a goal. The word is a doublet of "entendre," meaning that the two English words descend from the same source by different routes. "Entendre" came into English as a term for double meanings and innuendo, while "intend" kept the broader idea of pointing one's mind at an aim. Both trace back to the same Latin verb, which was built from "in-" ("toward") and "tendere" ("to stretch"). English already had a native verb for this idea, Old English "myntan," meaning "to mean, intend, think, or suppose." The borrowed word largely displaced it, though "mint" survives in some dialects with the older sense.

Synonyms: plan, mean, aim

Antonyms: disregard, neglect