intentional
Americanadjective
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done with intention or on purpose; intended.
an intentional insult.
- Antonyms:
- accidental
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of or relating to intention or purpose.
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Metaphysics.
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pertaining to an appearance, phenomenon, or representation in the mind; phenomenal; representational.
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pertaining to the capacity of the mind to refer to an existent or nonexistent object.
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pointing beyond itself, as consciousness or a sign.
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adjective
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performed by or expressing intention; deliberate
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of or relating to intention or purpose
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philosophy
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of or relating to the capacity of the mind to refer to different kinds of objects
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(of an object) existing only as the object of some mental attitude rather than in reality, as a unicorn in she hopes to meet a unicorn See also intensional
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Synonym Usage
See deliberate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of intentional
Explanation
Something intentional was done on purpose. If a crime was intentional, it was no accident. If you bump into your little brother in the hallway because you weren't paying attention, it's unintentional. But if wait for him to walk by and then stick out your foot to trip him, it's intentional. And not very nice. Usually we let people off the hook if they do something bad accidentally. But if your evil doings are premeditated, consciously planned, or otherwise intentional, no one will take much pity on you.
Vocabulary lists containing intentional
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Thirteen Reasons Why
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the San Fernando Valley case, Internal Affairs investigators reported turning up an “overwhelming pattern of intentional policy violations” by the officers involved, and said poor management allowed a “rampant culture of misconduct” to fester.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
Keflezgy adds the Brit Award winner was "very intentional and involved" in building the dance to create a connection with fans.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
Whether this is intentional behavior born of the arrogance of power or a symptom of a deteriorating mental state is somewhat beside the point.
From Salon • May 26, 2026
Jeon said those involved "denied any intentional wrongdoing, saying they only realised the campaign could be problematic after the issue drew public backlash".
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
In so-called intentional contexts like the above, the substitution doesn’t always work.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
