What does intend mean?
Intend means to plan or aim to do something, or to have a particular result in mind. It is especially useful when a speaker wants to make a purpose, intention, or intended meaning clear: “I intend to arrive early” differs from “I expect to arrive early,” because the former emphasizes deliberate planning rather than prediction. In another use, intend means to mean or signify something, as in explaining how a phrase should be understood. The word appears across formal and informal registers, from everyday conversation to professional and legal writing. Its directness can be useful for stating aims and clarifying intentions without sounding abrupt. Although intent is a closely related noun, intend is the verb that expresses the action of forming or announcing that purpose. Its long history also links present-day planning with the older idea of directing one’s attention or mind toward a goal.
verbTo plan or aim to do something, or to have a particular outcome in mind. In some contexts, it also means to mean or signify something.
- To plan or aim to do something.
- To want or expect a particular outcome.
- To mean or signify something.
"She intended to finish the report before the meeting."
"The wording was unclear; I intend it as a criticism, not an insult."
"They intend to submit the revised proposal next week."
Intend originally meant to direct the mind toward something, so its modern sense of planning is a long-developed metaphor.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intend come from?
Intend entered Middle English from Old French entendre, which was borrowed from Latin intendere, a compound of in- and tendere, meaning “to stretch out” or “to direct toward.” Its early senses developed around directing the mind or attention, before settling into the modern meanings of planning, aiming, and intending a particular meaning. English words such as tend, tendency, and tension are also connected with the Latin root tendere.
Related word forms
How intend is actually used
Intend is common in formal and neutral English. It is often followed by an infinitive, as in “I intend to leave,” and can sound more deliberate or less immediate than simply saying “plan.”
Easily confused with intend
Intent is the intention or purpose behind an action, whereas intend is the verb used to express that purpose.
Attend means to be present at or give attention to something, while intend means to plan, aim, or mean something.