Synonym Chooser

How is the word intentional different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of intentional are deliberate, voluntary, and willing. While all these words mean "done or brought about of one's own will," intentional stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.

the intentional concealment of vital information

When is deliberate a more appropriate choice than intentional?

The words deliberate and intentional are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deliberate implies full consciousness of the nature of one's act and its consequences.

deliberate acts of sabotage

In what contexts can voluntary take the place of intentional?

Although the words voluntary and intentional have much in common, voluntary implies freedom and spontaneity of choice or action without external compulsion.

a voluntary confession

When could willing be used to replace intentional?

In some situations, the words willing and intentional are roughly equivalent. However, willing implies a readiness and eagerness to accede to or anticipate the wishes of another.

willing obedience

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of intentional The government cannot be held liable for certain intentional torts, meaning the lawsuits could be dismissed altogether. Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025 Every detail is intentional, with subtle nods to Ford’s legacy, like the Pantone blue tiles in the bathrooms. Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2025 Taking small, intentional steps to embody these qualities will solidify your brand. 3. Mark Travers, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025 The study published by Israeli public health experts, based on data from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), challenges these claims, showing no evidence of famine or intentional deprivation. Efrat Lachter, Fox News, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for intentional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intentional
Adjective
  • This deliberate approach matters because many organizations struggle with performative values.
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • There are also deliberate cuts that have been vowed at Columbia and UPenn, two universities that get federal funding and do health research.
    CBS News, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But the players around him will need to be conscious defensively to get the most out of him.
    Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Most of them went by quickly enough to evade conscious perception, but the overall effect was unsettling.
    Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The voluntary program allows people who have two years or less of their sentence remaining to serve the rest of their time in a center that offers help with reentering the community.
    Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
  • While there has even been some talk of a military invasion, there are other ways America could gain control of the Arctic territory, such as free association, which is the ability to maintain self-government along with a voluntary and mutual partnership with a sovereign state.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In this process, admissions officers consider the overall class profile, including incoming students’ interests, backgrounds, institutional connections, and intended majors, and admit a balanced class of diverse students.
    Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • City leaders said her store is not an intended target of the ordinance.
    Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Intentional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intentional. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on intentional

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