first intention: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Academic, Technical (Medical)
Quick answer
What does “first intention” mean?
The immediate purpose, aim, or plan behind an action, before any deviation or reconsideration.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The immediate purpose, aim, or plan behind an action, before any deviation or reconsideration.
In medical and veterinary contexts, healing of a clean wound by direct union of the edges without granulation. In philosophy (scholasticism), a primary mental concept derived directly from sense experience.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant national differences in meaning. The medical term 'healing by first intention' is standard in both.
Connotations
In general use, can sound slightly archaic or deliberately precise.
Frequency
Very low frequency in everyday language; higher frequency in medical and philosophical texts.
Grammar
How to Use “first intention” in a Sentence
My/Our/His/Her first intention was [to infinitive]Healing occurred by first intention.The plan was executed according to first intention.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “first intention” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The surgeon intended for the wound to heal by first intention.
- I first intended to travel by rail.
American English
- The surgeon intended for the wound to heal by first intention.
- I first intended to travel by train.
adverb
British English
- The scheme was conceived first-intentionally as a charitable venture.
American English
- The scheme was conceived first-intentionally as a nonprofit venture.
adjective
British English
- The first-intention plan was soon abandoned.
- He gave a first-intention account of the events.
American English
- The first-intention plan was soon scrapped.
- He gave a first-intention account of the events.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in formal strategy documents: 'Our first intention was to acquire the competitor.'
Academic
Common in medical literature ('wound closure by first intention') and history/philosophy texts discussing scholastic thought.
Everyday
Very rare; sounds formal or old-fashioned: 'It wasn't my first intention to offend you.'
Technical
Standard term in surgery and veterinary medicine for clean wound healing.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “first intention”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “first intention”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “first intention”
- Using it in casual conversation.
- Confusing it with 'first impression'.
- Using 'on first intention' instead of the correct preposition 'by' in the medical sense.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very rare in spoken English and sounds formal or literary. Simpler phrases like 'original plan' are preferred.
The opposite is 'healing by second intention', where a wound fills in with granulation tissue from the bottom up, often due to infection or tissue loss.
Yes, though it's highly specialized. You might see hyphenated forms like 'first-intention healing' in medical texts.
The main pitfall is using it in everyday contexts where it sounds unnatural and overly formal. Learners should reserve it for academic or technical writing.
The immediate purpose, aim, or plan behind an action, before any deviation or reconsideration.
First intention is usually formal, academic, technical (medical) in register.
First intention: in British English it is pronounced /ˌfɜːst ɪnˈten.ʃən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌfɜːrst ɪnˈten.ʃən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Heal by first intention.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a FIRST date: your FIRST INTENTION is to make a good impression, before any complications arise.
Conceptual Metaphor
A JOURNEY: The first intention is the initial, straight path before any detours.
Practice
Quiz
In which field is 'first intention' a standard technical term?