Intend: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes

Meaning 1：plan to do (intend)

intend 🔊

/ɪnˈtend/

To plan or aim to do something.

Person planning to learn French, illustrating the meaning of intend to do something.

plan to do 🔊

➕

/plæn tə ˈduː/

To have a specific plan or aim to carry out an action.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'intendere' (in- 'toward' + tendere 'to stretch').

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'in-tend' as bending your intention toward a goal, like tending to a plan.

📖 Example

I intend to finish this report by 5 PM today. 🔊 I plan to complete this report by 5 PM today.

🔗 Collocations

intend to do – plan or aim to perform an action

fully intend – have a strong determination to do something

intend for – design or mean something for a specific purpose

🔄 Synonyms

plan (v.) – to decide on and arrange in advance

aim (v.) – to direct one's efforts towards a goal

mean (v.) – to have as a purpose or intention

🚫 Antonyms

neglect (v.) – to fail to care for or pay attention to

ignore (v.) – to refuse to take notice of or acknowledge

🌱 Derivatives

intention (n.) – a plan or aim to do something

intentional (adj.) – done on purpose; deliberate

intentionally (adv.) – in a deliberate manner

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'intend' derives from Latin 'intendere', meaning 'to stretch toward'. It is frequently used in legal documents and business plans to express purpose or objective.