Intent vs Intention

Hi there,

What, if any, is the difference between "intent" and "intention"? Examples explaining the difference(s) would be appreciated.

'Intent' is the noun form of 'intend' (to plan; to have in mind)

He intended to do bodily harm - The INTENT to harm
He intended to kill him - The INTENT to kill
The couple intended to steal credit card information - The INTENT to steal

'Intention' means almost the same thing as 'intent'. Synonyms include "aim, goal, objective, aspiration etc." For all of the above sentences one could say:

"He has criminal intentions to do bodily harm; to kill; to commit murder etc.

"We found out that they had criminal intentions to steal credit card information"

In the Romance languages, the word is used in similar ways. For example, Romanian has Eu intent'ionez sã merg (I intend to go), Noi intentionãm sã plecãm (We intend to leave) N-am nici intent'ii rele (I mean no harm - Lit. "I have no bad intentions.")

Other examples:

Her intentions are good but the way she goes about doing things is wrong.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

It is not my intent to offend (embarrass) anyone.

It was never my intention to embarrass or harass Ms. Givens.

You might want to wait for other responses too!

Intent implies a sustained commitment or driving purpose, whereas intention implies an intermittent commitment or initial aim.