intentional
/ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/
done on purpose
She made an intentional effort to improve her skills.
She deliberately worked to get better at what she does.
general
done deliberately or on purpose
His intentional silence during the meeting was noticed by everyone.
He chose not to speak on purpose, and people noticed.
Often used to describe actions that are clearly deliberate, not accidental.
Collocations
intentional mistakean error made on purposeintentional omissionsomething left out deliberatelyintentional acta deliberate action
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Positive vs. Negative Use
Intentional can describe both good (e.g., intentional kindness) and bad (e.g., intentional harm) actions.
Gold Rule
Legal Context
In legal contexts, 'intentional' often implies criminal intent or negligence.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'intentional', from Latin 'intentio' (purpose) + '-al' (suffix forming adjectives).
Usage Notes
Can be used in both positive and negative contexts, depending on the situation.
Word Breakdown
intent
purpose or aim
root-ional
relating to or characterized by
suffixEnglish Dictionary