French word

intentionnellement

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛ̃tɑ̃sjonɛləmɑ̃/

Meaning

  • adverbdeliberately

Example

Il a intentionnellement fait tomber le verre.

He deliberately dropped the glass.

Illustration for intentionnellement (deliberately)

More examples

Il agit intentionnellement pour provoquer une réaction.

He acts intentionally to provoke a reaction.

Core concept

An action steered toward a chosen outcome, with chance ruled out.

Common phrases

  • agir intentionnellement

    act intentionally

  • mentir intentionnellement

    lie intentionally

  • blesser intentionnellement

    hurt intentionally

Similar words

exprès: Done on purpose to bring about the intended result.
volontairement: Done intentionally by one's own choice or will.

Definition in French

Indique qu'une action a été faite volontairement, dans le but d'obtenir un résultat et non par accident.

Word origin

French intentionnellement combines intentionnel, derived from intention, with the adverbial suffix -ment; intention comes from Latin intentio, meaning purpose or aim.

Usage tips

  • Intentionnellement has a formal, often written or legal register, while exprès is more common in everyday speech for deliberate actions.

Opposites

  • accidentellementaccidentallyadverb
  • involontairementunintentionallyadverb

Related words

  • intentionintentionnoun
  • intentionnelintentionaladjective

Word lists with this word