intent

English

Alternative forms

• entent (obsolete)

Etymology

Existing since Middle English entente, from Old French entent or entente, ultimately from Latin intentus. Modified later in spelling to align more closely with the Latin word. Compare intention.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈtɛnt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

  Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

intent (countable and uncountable, plural intents)

1. Something that is intended.
2. (law) The state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence.

Synonyms

• (something that is intended): See also Thesaurus:intention

Derived terms

• authorial intent
• declaration of intent
• direct intent
• letter of intent
• mopery with intent to creep
• mopery with intent to gawk
• oblique intent
• statement of intent
• transferred intent

 

Translations

something that is intended

• Arabic: نِيَّة f (niyya)
• Basque: asmo
• Bulgarian: цел (bg) f (cel), намерение (bg) n (namerenie)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 意图 (zh) (yìtú)

• Czech: záměr (cs) m, úmysl (cs) m, cíl (cs) m
• Dutch: bedoeling (nl)
• Esperanto: celo (eo)
• Finnish: tarkoitus (fi)
• French: intention (fr) f
• German: Absicht (de) f
• Greek: πρόθεση (el) f (próthesi), επιδίωξη (el) f (epidíoxi), σκοπός (el) m (skopós)
• Hungarian: szándék (hu)
• Italian: intento (it) m
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ئامانج (ckb) (amanc)

• Lao: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: akt (no) m (archaic)

• Persian: نیت (fa)
• Plautdietsch: Väanämen n
• Portuguese: intenção (pt) f
• Russian: наме́рение (ru) (namérenije)
• Slovak: zámer m, úmysel m, ciel m
• Spanish: intención (es) f, intento (es) m, propósito (es) m
• Swedish: avsikt (sv) c, intention (sv) c
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: amaç (tr)
• Ukrainian: намір (uk) m (namir)

state of someone’s mind at the time of committing an offence

• Bulgarian: умисъл (bg) m (umisǎl)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 犯罪动机

• Finnish: aikomus (fi)
• Greek: πρόθεση (el) f (próthesi)
• Hungarian: szándékosság (hu)
• Russian: у́мысел (ru) (úmysel)
• Spanish: intención (es) f
• Swedish: uppsåt (sv) n
• Turkish: niyet (tr)
• Ukrainian: умисел m (umysel)

Adjective

intent (comparative more intent, superlative most intent)

1. Firmly fixed or concentrated on something.

   a mind intent on self-improvement

   • 2014 June 20, Daniel Taylor, “World Cup 2014: Uruguay sink England as Suárez makes his mark”, in guardian.co.uk:

     Uruguay were quick to the ball, strong in the tackle and seemed intent on showing they were a better team than had been apparent in their defeat to Costa Rica.

   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter I, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:

     And it was while all were passionately intent upon the pleasing and snake-like progress of their uncle that a young girl in furs, ascending the stairs two at a time, peeped perfunctorily into the nursery as she passed the hallway—and halted amazed.

2. Engrossed.
3. Unwavering from a course of action.

Translations

firmly fixed or concentrated

• Bulgarian: решен (bg) (rešen), настойчив (bg) (nastojčiv)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 一心一意的

• Finnish: keskittynyt (fi)
• French: résolu (fr), déterminé (fr)
• Greek: προσηλωμένος (el) m (prosiloménos)
• Hungarian: törekvő (hu), fókuszált (hu), koncentrált (hu)
• Latin: intentus
• Maori: waweroka, tare
• Russian: сосредо́точенный (ru) (sosredótočennyj), при́стальный (ru) (prístalʹnyj)
• Spanish: concentrado (es), entregado (es)

engrossed — see also engrossed

• Bulgarian: погълнат (bg) (pogǎlnat)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: keskittynyt (fi)
• Greek: αφοσιωμένος (el) m (afosioménos)
• Hungarian: belemerült (hu), merült (hu), leköti (hu)
• Maori: tāuteute

unwavering — see also unwavering

• Bulgarian: непоколебим (bg) (nepokolebim)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: vakaasti päättänyt, määrätietoinen (fi), vakaa (fi)
• French: buté (fr) m
• Greek: έμμονος (el) m (émmonos)
• Hungarian: elszánt (hu), eltökélt (hu)
• Maori: ngana
• Spanish: inquebrantable (es), inexorable (es)

Related terms

• for all intents and purposes
• intend
• intense
• intensive
• intention
• intently
• intent on
• to all intents and purposes
• with intent

 

Further reading

• “intent”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin intentus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [inˈten]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencian) [inˈtent]

Noun

intent m (plural intents)

1. try, attempt
2. (castells) a castell that collapses before its construction is completed (as opposed to a castell carregat, which collapses after it is completed, or an intent desmuntat, which is not completed but is successfully dismantled without collapsing)

Related terms

• intenció
• intentar

Further reading

• “intent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “intent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “intent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “intent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.