A strong purpose or plan to do something; what someone is trying to achieve or the reason behind their actions.
From Latin 'intentus,' meaning 'stretched toward' or 'aimed at,' from 'in-' (toward) and 'tendere' (to stretch). The idea is of stretching one's mind or will toward a goal.
In law, intent is everything—committing an act is often less important than proving whether you meant to do it, which is why 'accidental' versus 'intentional' can mean the difference between freedom and prison.
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