LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation

intendō

intendō (present infinitive intendere, perfect active intendī, supine intentum or intensum)
Classical[ɪnˈtɛn.doː]Ecclesiastical[inˈtɛn.do]
№ 895 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to stretch out; to strain
  2. to turn one's attention to, focus (on)
  3. to aim, turn, direct
  4. to intend to, aim, seek
  5. Medieval Latinto understand
  6. Medieval Latinto hear
  7. Medieval Latinto think, believe
  8. Medieval Latinto go to, travel
  9. Medieval Latinwith dativeto obey

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

oculōs et animum ad ūnam rem vertō; quī intendit, nihil aliud videt.
intendō -ere -tendī — in Mille Verba, ch. Līmes: ad Carnuntum

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.intendōintendēbamintendamintendīintenderamintenderō
2nd sg.intendisintendēbāsintendēsintendistīintenderāsintenderis
3rd sg.intenditintendēbatintendetintenditintenderatintenderit
1st pl.intendimusintendēbāmusintendēmusintendimusintenderāmusintenderimus
2nd pl.intenditisintendēbātisintendētisintendistisintenderātisintenderitis
3rd pl.intenduntintendēbantintendentintendērunt
intendēre		intenderantintenderint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.intendamintenderemintenderimintendissem
2nd sg.intendāsintenderēsintenderīsintendissēs
3rd sg.intendatintenderetintenderitintendisset
1st pl.intendāmusintenderēmusintenderīmusintendissēmus
2nd pl.intendātisintenderētisintenderītisintendissētis
3rd pl.intendantintenderentintenderintintendissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.intendorintendēbarintendar
2nd sg.intenderis
intendere		intendēbāris
intendēbāre		intendēris
intendēre
3rd sg.intenditurintendēbāturintendētur
1st pl.intendimurintendēbāmurintendēmur
2nd pl.intendiminīintendēbāminīintendēminī
3rd pl.intendunturintendēbanturintendentur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.intendarintenderer
2nd sg.intendāris
intendāre		intenderēris
intenderēre
3rd sg.intendāturintenderētur
1st pl.intendāmurintenderēmur
2nd pl.intendāminīintenderēminī
3rd pl.intendanturintenderentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.intendeintendere
pres. 2nd pl.intenditeintendiminī
fut. 2nd sg.intenditōintenditor
fut. 3rd sg.intenditōintenditor
fut. 2nd pl.intenditōte—
fut. 3rd pl.intenduntōintenduntor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveintendereintendī
perfect infinitiveintendisseintentum esse
future infinitiveintentūrum esseintentum īrī
present participleintendēns—
perfect participle—intentus
future participleintentūrus
intentūra, intentūrā, intentūrae, intentūram, intentūrārum, intentūrās, intentūre, intentūrī, intentūrīs, intentūrō, intentūrōrum, intentūrōs, intentūrum		intendendus
intendundus, intendenda, intendendā, intendendae, intendendam, intendendārum, intendendās, intendende, intendendīs, intendendōrum, intendendōs
gerundintendendī, intendendō, intendendumsupineintentum, intentū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

litem alicui intendere
to go to law with, sue a person.
intentum esse alicui rei
to be engaged upon a matter.
iter aliquo dirigere, intendere
to journey towards a place.
in omnes partes aciem (oculorum) intendere
to gaze intently all around.
cogitationem, animum in aliquid intendere (Acad. 4. 46)
to direct one's attention...

in-tendo, di, tum and sum, 3, v. a. (
I. part. intenditus, Fronto, Fer. Als. 3, 11 Mai.), to stretch out or forth, extend.
I. Lit.
A. In hunc intende digitum, hic lenost, point in scorn, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 45: dextram ad statuam, Cic. Att. 16, 15: alicui manus, Sen. Clem. 1, 25: bracchia, Ov. M. 10, 58: manus, id. ib. 8, 107: jubet intendi bracchia velis, Verg. A. 5, 829: intenta bracchia remis, id. ib, 5, 136: ventis vela, id. ib. 3, 683: nervos aut remittere, Plin. 26, 10, 62, § 96: cutem, id. 8, 35, 53, § 125: jamque manus Colchis crinemque intenderat astris, Val. Fl. 8, 68.—
B. To bend a bow, etc.: ballistam in aliquem, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 58: arcum, Verg. A. 8, 704: intentus est arcus in me unum, Cic. Sest. 7, 15.—
C. To aim or direct at a thing: tela in patriam, Cic. Prov. Cons. 9: tela intenta jugulis civitatis, id. Pis. 2: sagittam, Verg. A. 9, 590: telum in jugulum, Plin. Ep. 3, 9.—
D. To stretch or spread out; to stretch, lay or put upon a thing: tabernacula carbaseis intenta velis, pitched, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 12, § 30; 2, 5, 31, § 80: sella intenta loris, Quint. 6, 3, 25: stuppea vincula collo Intendunt, Verg. A. 2, 237: duro intendere bracchia tergo, i. e. to bind with the cestus, id. ib. 5, 403: locum sertis, encircled, surrounded, id. ib. 4, 506: vela secundi Intendunt Zephyri, swell, fill, id. ib. 5, 33: intendentibus tenebris, spreading, Liv. 1, 57, 8.—
II. Trop.
A. To strain or stretch towards, to extend: aciem acrem in omnes partes intendit, turns keen looks on every side, Cic. Tusc. 4, 18, 38: aciem longius, id. Ac. 2, 25, 80: quo intendisset oculos, whithersoever he turns his eyes, Tac. A. 4, 70: aures ad verba, Ov. P. 4, 4, 36: cum putaret licere senatui, et mitigare leges et intendere, to stretch, i. e. increase the rigor of, Plin. Ep. 4, 9, 17: numeros intendere nervis, Verg. A. 9, 776 (per nervos intentos, Forbig.); cf.: strepitum fidis intendisse Latinae, Pers. 6, 4.—
B. Esp.
1. To direct towards any thing, to turn or bend in any direction: digna est res ubi tu nervos intendas tuos, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 20: intendenda in senem est fallacia, id. Heaut. 3, 2, 2: ut eo quo intendit, cum exercitu mature perveniat, Cic. Mur. 9: iter, to direct one's course: ad explorandum quonam hostes iter intendissent, Liv. 31, 33, 6: a porta ad praetorem iter intendit, id. 36, 21: coeptum iter in Italiam, id. 21, 29, 6; 27, 46, 9.—Absol.: quo nunc primum intendam, whither shall I turn? Ter. And. 2, 2, 6.—
2. Intendere animum, to direct one's thoughts or attention to any thing: quaero enim non quibus intendam rebus animum, sed, etc., Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 329, 6: parum defigunt animos et intendunt in ea, quae, etc., id. Ac. 2, 15, 46: quo animum intendat, facile perspicio, id. Verr. 1, 3; Liv. praef. 9: intentus animus tuus est ad fortissimum virum liberandum, Cic. Phil. 11, 9: oculi mentesque ad pugnam intentae, Caes. B. G. 3, 26: in ea re omnium nostrorum intentis animis, id. ib. 3, 22: intendere animum in regnum Adherbalis, Sall. J. 20, 1: ad bellum animum intendit, id. ib. 43, 2: animum studiis et rebus honestis, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 36: considerationem in aliquam rem, Cic. Inv. 2, 33: omnes cogitationes ad aliquid, Liv. 40, 5: omnium eo curae sunt intentae, Liv. 9, 31; id. 25, 9: ad scribendum animum, oculos, manum, Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 7: ubi ingenium intenderis, valet, Sall. J. 51, 3: eruditionem tuam, Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 14. —
3. Hence, intendere alone, to urge on, incite: intenderant eum ad cavendi omnia curam tot auditae proditiones, Liv. 24, 37: aliquem ad custodiae curam, id. 21, 49: vis omnis intendenda rebus, Quint. 10, 7, 21.—
4. To enlarge, spread, extend, magnify: intendetur socordia, si nullus ex se metus aut spes, Tac. A. 2, 38: amici accendendis offensionibus callidi, intendere vera. adgerere falsa, exaggerated, id. ib. 2, 57; 4, 11: gloriam, id. ib. 4, 26; 12, 35: tormentum, Cels. 4, 15 init.—
C. Absol., to turn one's attention to, exert one's self for, to purpose, endeavor, intend: pergin, sceleste, intendere hanc arguere? Plaut. Mil. 2, 4, 27 Brix: quod est tibi ante explicandum, quam illuc proficiscare, quo te dicis intendere, Cic. de Or. 2, 42: quod ubi secus procedit, neque quod intenderat, efficere potest, Sall. J. 25, 10: quocumque intenderat, id. ib. 74, 2; cf. id. ib. 64, 1; 102, 1: genera lectionum, quae praecipue convenire intendentibus, ut oratores fiant, Quint. 10, 1, 45: ad nuptias, Just. 13, 6.—
(b). With inf.: quo ire intenderant, Sall. J. 107, 7: altum petere intendit, Liv. 36, 44.—
D. Intendere se, to exert one's self, prepare for any thing: se ad firmitatem, Cic. Tusc. 2, 23: se in rem, Quint. 4, 1, 39: qui se intenderunt adversarios in ejus tribunatum, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 4, 2.—
E. Intendere animo, to purpose in one's mind, to intend: si C. Antonius, quod animo intenderat, perficere potuisset, Cic. Phil. 10, 4, 9.—
F. To maintain, assert: eam sese intendit esse, Ter. Eun. 3, 3, 19.—Esp., as leg. t. t., to aver, maintain, assert as a plaintiff in court: quo modo nunc intendit, Cic. Quint. 29, 88: si quod intendit adversarius tuus, probationibus implere non possit, Vet. cujusd. Jurec. Consult. 6, 16 Huschke; Dig. 10, 4, 9, § 6. —
G. To threaten with any thing, to seek to bring upon, to afflict with: alicui actionem perduellionis, Cic. Mil. 14: alicui litem, id. de Or. 1, 10: periculum in omnes, id. Rosc. Am. 3: crimen in aliquem, Liv. 9, 26: injuriarum formulam, Suet. Vit. 7: probra et minas alicui, Tac. A. 3, 36: metum intendere, id. ib. 1, 28.—
H. Intendere in se, to contemplate one's self: quid sit Deus: totus in se intendat, an ad nos aliquando respiciat, Sen. Q. N. praef. 1.—
I. Intendere alicui, to be intended for a person, Stat. S. 3 praef.—
K. In rhet., to premise, to state as the proposition of a syllogism, Quint. 5, 14, 10.—
L. In gram., to make long, to use (a syllable) as long: primam syllabam intendit, tertiam corripuit, Gell. 13, 22. 18. — Hence, P. a. in two forms.
1. inten-tus, a, um.
A. On the stretch, strained, bent: arcus, Cic. Sen. 10, 37; Plin. 8, 8, 8, § 26.—
B. Attentive to, intent upon, waiting for something.
(a). With dat.: quem pueri intenti ludo exercent, Verg. A. 7, 380: intentus recipiendo exercitui esse, Liv. 10, 42, 1.—
(b). With abl.: aliquo negotio intentus, Sall. C. 2; id. ib. 4; 54.—
C. Absol., eager, intent: at Romani domi militiaeque intenti festinare, Sall. C. 6, 5: senatus nihil sane intentus, id. ib. 16, 5: intenti exspectant signum, Verg. A. 5, 137: intenti ora tenebant, id. ib. 2, 1: totam causam quam maxime intentis, quod aiunt, oculis contemplari, Cic. Fl. 11: intentaque tuis precibus se praebuit aure, Tib. 4, 1, 132. — Comp.: intentiore custodia aliquem asservare, Liv. 39, 19.—Sup.: cum intentissima conquisitione ad triginta milia peditum confecisset, Liv. 29, 35: intentissima cura aliquid consequi, Quint. 10, 1, 111: haec omnia intentissima cura acta, Liv. 25, 22, 4. —
D. Strict: intentum et magnis delictis inexorabilem scias, Tac. A. 12, 42: intentius delectum habere, Liv. 8, 17: intentiorem fore disciplinam, Tac. A. 12, 42.—
E. Raised: intento alimentorum pretio, Tac. H. 1, 89. —
F. Of speech and style, vigorous, nervous: sermo, Cic. de Or. 1, 60, 255: pars orationis, id. ib. 2, 52, 211. — Adv.: in-tentē, with earnestness, attentively, intently: pronuntiare, Plin. Ep. 5, 19: audire, Quint. 2, 2, 13.— Comp. (cf. intense): cum delectus intentius haberetur, Liv. 8, 17: et quo intentius custodiae serventur, id. 25, 30, 5: apparare proelium, id. 8, 1: se excusare, Tac. A. 3, 35: premere obsessos, id. ib. 15, 13: adesse alicui rei, id. ib. 11, 11.—Sup.: exspectans intentissime, Lampr. Elag. 14. —
2. intensus, a, um.
A. Stretched, tightened, tight: per intensos funes ire, Sen. de Ira, 2, 13.—
B. Violent: intensior impetus, Sen. Ira, 2, 35: virtus in mediocribus modice intensior, Nazar. Pan. ad Const. 23, 2.—
C. Attentive; sup., Aug. Ep. 56 al.— Adv.: intensē, violently; comp.: intensius, Fronto de Fer. Als. 3 Mai.; Schol. Juv. 11, 15; sup.: intensissime, Aug. Mor. Eccl. 19.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Italic*en
  3. Proto-Italic*en-
  4. Latinintendō

Proto-Indo-European *ten- Proto-Indo-European *tend- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *téndeti Proto-Italic *tendō Latin tendō Latin intendō From in- + tendō.

Insular Romance
  • Sardinianintèndhere
  • Sardinianintendi
  • Sardinianintèndiri
  • Sardinianintènnere
Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianîntinde
  • Romanianîntindere
  • Aromanianntindu
  • Aromanianãntindu
  • Aromanianntindiri
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanentendre
  • Occitanentendre
Ibero Romance
  • Portugueseentenderfrom Old Galician-Portuguese entender
  • Spanishentenderfrom Old Spanish entender
  • Aragoneseentender
  • Asturianentender
  • Mirandeseantender
  • Galicianentenderfrom Old Galician-Portuguese entender
  • Ladinoentenderfrom Old Spanish entender
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianintendere
  • Neapolitanntennire
  • Sicilianntènniri
  • Venetanintender
  • Venetanintendar
Borrowings
  • Germanintendieren
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianintindi
Northern Gallo-Romance
  • Franco-Provençalentendre
  • Old Frenchentendre

Quick answers

What does intendō mean in Latin?
intendō, a verb, means “to stretch out; to strain; to turn one's attention to, focus (on)”.
What are the principal parts of intendō?
intendō, intendere, intendī, intentum (third conjugation).
How do you pronounce intendō?
In classical Latin, [ɪnˈtɛn.doː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [inˈtɛn.do].
Where does intendō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én → Proto-Italic *en → Proto-Italic *en- → Latin intendō.