intent
n. uncountablen. the purpose or plan behind an action. It describes what you want to achieve when you do something, especially in a legal or serious situation.
n. the purpose or objective behind an action, particularly regarding the mental state of a person at the time of a crime or contract. Often used in legal contexts to distinguish between accidental and deliberate acts.
He had no intent to cause any harm.
The prosecution must prove that the defendant had the specific intent to commit the crime rather than acting out of negligence.
While the physical evidence was clear, the jury struggled to determine the defendant's actual intent, which was the deciding factor between a charge of manslaughter and one of murder.
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.
Commonly used in the phrase 'with intent to' followed by a verb, or 'intent of' followed by a gerund.
with the intent for doingwith the intent of doingThe noun 'intent' typically takes the preposition 'of' followed by a gerund, or 'to' followed by an infinitive, but not 'for'.